Blown Apart
by CTI-Jenn
Summary: I got the idea for this story after reading spoilers for the upcoming episode "Life Sentence."  Just in case people wish to remain spoiler free, the rest of the summary is inside.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I got the idea for this story from reading spoilers for the upcoming episode "Life Sentence." In the spoiler, Danny and Mac are questioned by IA after confronting a suspect who had attacked the crime lab earlier in the day. I tried to imagine what could cause these two in particular to be involved and this is what I came up with. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or any of the characters from the show. This work of fiction is purely for entertainment and I am making no money from it.

Blown Apart

Crime Lab

Lindsay Monroe Messer entered the Trace Lab putting on her lab coat. She was surprised at how empty it seemed. Normally it was bustling with activity this early in the morning. It's lone occupant, Adam Ross looked up from his microscope and smiled.

"I've never been so glad to see you in my entire life."

Lindsay laughed softly. "Don't let my husband hear you say that. I hear he can be a tad jealous. Why are you still here? Weren't you coming on when I left yesterday?"

Adam rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Pulling a double. All night I've been running trace from a triple homicide. Those two boxes of evidence just came in with a rush order. I haven't even had time for a cup of coffee this morning. It is still morning, isn't it?"

"For a few more hours at least. Why don't you take a break? Mac wouldn't want you collapsing from exhaustion." Lindsay didn't have the heart to tell him he already looked like he was past the point of collapse. Adam shook his head adamantly.

"No way. Those boxes came from Mac's crime scene. If he comes back and they aren't done, he'll have my head. Just look at those boxes; it'll take me hours to finish all that evidence."

One of the boxes Adam was referring to was rather large but the other was only a third of its size. It did promise a rather heavy workload. Glancing from the boxes to Adam's tired expression, Lindsay took pity. "Go; take a break. Grab a cup of coffee and a muffin; whatever. I'll get started processing the smaller box in the meantime. Seriously, you won't do anyone any good if you fall asleep at your microscope."

Adam's face lit up. "I could kiss you. I won't because you're right; Danny is more than a tad jealous and is way scary. But if it weren't for that I'd definitely kiss you right now."

Lindsay was laughing as he left the lab. She crossed over to the table that held the two boxes from Mac's crime scene. She was a little surprised that he'd already been able to send evidence from that scene back to the lab. When Danny had dropped her off at the lab earlier, he was leaving to meet their boss at the scene. Humming to herself, she picked up a knife to break the seal of the smaller box.

Crime Scene

Danny Messer parked the Avalanche behind Mac's and exited the vehicle. He saw his boss kneeling next to the dead body and joined him. "Sorry I'm late. Had to drop Linds off at the lab before I came. Good thing I did 'cause there was this letter waiting for you at reception. It was marked urgent, so I figured I'd deliver it personally."

Rising Mac took the sealed envelope from Danny and opened it. He slid the single piece of paper out with two gloved fingers, always careful to preserve evidence just in case. He read the letter and looked at Danny. Concern etched his features as he turned the note so that Danny could read it. A cold chill ran down the younger CSI's spine as he read the carefully printed words on the page.

My plans for the perfect crime were blown apart by your lab. Time for me to return the favor.

"We need to get back to the lab immediately!"

Crime Lab

Adam had barely made it to the break room when he heard the explosion. The sound seemed to be coming from the Trace Lab where he just left Lindsay. The fire alarm began to blare as everyone started running for the stairs. Worried about his friend, Adam raced back to check on her and just outside the lab when a second, stronger explosion blew him off his feet. Then he heard nothing else.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you for the kind reviews. I have ever intention of finishing this story. It's handwritten through Chapter 7 already and typed through chapter 3. As for where I got the spoilers, the one that gave me the idea was the episode summary at . There are a few more spoilers in the message board at the CSI: NY site on under the thread for episodes.

Disclaimer: Still don't own.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 2

Mac and Danny left the crime scene with the police officers and raced to Mac's Avalanche. Turning on his blue lights, Mac sped through the city, unmindful of the traffic laws. Danny meanwhile was on his cell phone trying to reach Lindsay. After several unsuccessful tries, Danny shook his head.

"It keeps going to voice mail. You don't really think someone would try to blow up the lab do you? I mean, how would they get an explosive past security?"

Mac didn't take his eyes off the road. "I don't know. I hope the note was just a joke but what would be the purpose of it? And if nothing is wrong at the lab, why didn't Lindsay answer your call? Try calling Jo or Hawkes. Maybe they can tell us what's going on."

"Hawkes had court this morning. His phone will be off. Didn't Jo work last night? Would she still be at the lab?" The fact that Danny seemed to remember everyone's schedule better than Mac did told the blue-eyed detective just how concerned Mac really was.

Mac nodded. "She was working a triple last night. She still be there. Try her."

Before Danny could pull up Jo's number in his cell phone, Mac's phone rang. Taking one hand off the wheel, Mac retrieved the phone and handed it to Danny to answer. A glance at the caller ID showed that it was Jo calling. Danny flipped the phone open and pressed a button.

"Jo, it's Danny. I've got you on speaker. Are you at the lab? Is everything okay?"

In the background Danny could hear the sound of sirens and alarms before Jo could answer. "No, something major is going on. I was with Sid in Autopsy when the fire alarm went off. Everyone's evacuating the building. I cornered a couple of lab techs who said something about an explosion in Trace. Security won't let me back in to check things out. I'm trying to account for everyone who was in the lab but so far I can't find Adam. Danny, when I left for Autopsy, he was in Trace working on my evidence."

Danny's heart skipped a beat. "What about Lindsay; have you seen her?" He prayed she would say yes.

"Sorry, Danny; not yet. If I see her, I'll tell her to call you. Are the two of you still at the scene?"

Mac answered giving Danny time to collect his thoughts. "We are almost to the lab. I was sent a note that someone was going to blow up the lab and it looks like it wasn't an idle threat. Make sure that one of the detectives sequesters everyone from the lab and questions them. Find out what they saw before the explosion. I want this guy. I'm going to park in the loading bay. I suspect Danny and I will be able to bypass security from there and get up the stairwell." He nodded to Danny who canceled the call.

"I'm worried, Mac. Why hasn't Lindsay come out?"

"I don't know, Danny. We'll find her and Adam though." Somehow the grim expression on Mac's face didn't meet up with the reassurance of his words. This served to strengthen Danny's fears rather than eliminate them. After what seemed like hours but was really only about ten minutes, Mac pulled haphazardly up at the loading bay. Had it only been just over three years since Hawkes had blocked this very door to prevent Irish gang members from leaving the lab with stolen cocaine? That day had ended with an explosion as well.

Without speaking, both men raced through the door and up the stairwell. It seemed to take forever before they reached the 35th floor. The fire alarm claxon was the first sound to greet them as they surveyed the damage. A smoky haze covered the floor but there didn't seem to be any fire. A figure stumbled toward them and as Mac caught him to keep him upright, he recognized Adam.

"Adam, are you okay? What happened?"

The lab tech looked at the two men dazed. He had a large cut over his left eye and he was covered in soot and grime. When he recognized Danny, he paled even more and almost fell over. "Danny, I'm so sorry. I never should have left out. She was being so nice and I was so tired. I just wanted a cup of coffee. I tried to get back but… Oh God, Lindsay… Danny…." Tears streaked a path down his cheeks.

Danny wanted to shake him and make him make sense but recognized the poor guy was traumatized. Yelling at him wouldn't help. Instead he took the lab tech's head in both hands and forced him to face him. He willed his voice to sound calm and reassuring.

"Adam, listen to me. It's okay. Nobody blames you for anything. I know you want to help Lindsay, so take a deep breath, Buddy, and tell me where you last saw Lindsay."

Adam wouldn't let his eyes meet Danny's but cut them back to the destroyed Trace Lab. He took a deep breath but it wouldn't pass the lump in his throat. "In there."

Danny released Adam and raced to the damaged lab. Mac was torn between the need to get Adam to medical help and his desire to find Lindsay. His decision was made for him as Adam struggled out of his grasp and stumbled after Danny.

The explosion had blown itself out leaving no fire but a wake of destruction in its path. Nothing was even recognizable. Danny stood just inside the doorway searching for some sign that would tell him where his wife might be. "Lindsay? Babe? Can you hear me?"

He heard nothing. He called again and then reached for his cell phone. Perhaps hers survived the blast and he could use the ringing to locate his wife. Instead it went straight to voicemail. He hung his head as Mac stepped around him starting to sort through the debris.

"Come on, Babe. Don't do this. Let me know where you are."

"I tried calling for her when I first regained consciousness. Maybe I was wrong and she got out before the second explosion." Adam stood dazedly in the doorway leaning on the frame for support.

Mac looked up sharply. "There were two explosions?"

Adam nodded despite the waves of pain it sent through his head. "About a minute apart. Damn it, why did I leave her alone? Danny…"

But Danny said nothing. He was lost in a memory of not being able to find Lucy in a game of hide and seek. Unlike most children his daughter's age, Lucy was exceptionally good at not only hiding but remaining quiet. After several panicked tries of finding her, Lindsay and he had finally taught Lucy a new rule that would help them locate her when they got desperate. He was certainly desperate now and willing to try anything.

"MARCO!" He shouted into the room. Both Mac and Adam looked at him like he was crazy but he held up his hand silencing their questions. "Come on Babe, you know the rule. MARCO!"

After a second he heard a faint voice that sounded something like 'lo coming from the other side of the room. He raced toward the sound with Mac on his heels. Once he was close to where he thought the sound came from he cried out again. "MARCO!"

The answering half came weakly from beneath a fallen file cabinet. Danny knelt down. "She's under here. Help me."

With Mac's help, he gripped the edge of the file cabinet and lifted. The two men moved it to the side and looked back to find the crumpled half-conscious body of Lindsay Messer underneath.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thanks again for the reviews. Several people have requested longer chapters. I'm trying for that by adding in some details in some places and combining chapters in others. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: Still don't own.

Blown Apart

Chapter 3

Just 24 hours earlier, Danny had remarked to Hawkes that the Trace Lab sometimes seemed too big. Just when you got settled at a table looking at a piece of evidence through the magnifying glass, you had to get up and walk clear across the room to get another piece of apparatus to complete the job. In this movement the lab had been reduced to just him and the small debris cluttered section of floor where his wife was currently lying.

Lindsay's face was bloodied and bruised and her left arm was twisted in an odd angle beneath her. Danny wanted nothing more than to scoop her in his arms and kiss her but was worried about injuring her further. So instead he leaned down and kissed her where she lay. He didn't care that Mac was standing right beside him and that it might look unprofessional. When she whimpered in pain, Danny felt a fist close around his heart and squeeze. Tears streaked his face and he wasn't sure if they were tears of relief that she was alive or of fear of how badly she might be injured.

"Shh, it's okay, Babe. I've got ya now." He looked up at Mac. "How're we gonna get her out of here? Where are the firefighters and paramedics? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

"You know how it works, Danny; they won't let anyone in here until they feel sure the scene is safe. If they had seen us trying to get up here they would have never allowed it. We may have to take Lindsay and Adam down on our own."

"But what if she has neck or back damage?" Danny protested. Truthfully, he wanted her out of there right away but the thought of Lindsay going through what he went through after the shooting was unbearable. Those months that he had spent in a wheelchair had been extremely difficult for him both physically and emotionally. The thought of the woman he loved more than life itself going through anything even remotely similar tore him up.

Mac leaned down close to his injured CSI. "Lindsay, Sweetheart, where are you hurt?"

Lindsay shifted a little to look at him and groaned. "Huh? Mac?… Evidence…not evidence… Bombs…" She groaned again in pain, her half-opened brown eyes closing the rest of the way as her body gave into the pain fully.

Mac shook his head. "We'll have to chance it. I'll carry her; you help Adam." Before Mac could gently lift her into his arms, Danny stopped him.

"I'll carry her."

Mac knew how much Danny wanted to hold her and protect her but he also knew it would be a long trek down the stairs. As much as Danny hated to admit it, he did still have to watch his back. "Danny, if it was only to the elevator I would let you but we're talking thirty five floors of stairs. Lindsay may not weigh much, but you can't risk it with your back. Let me do this for both of you. I promise I'll take care of her."

Brushing a stand of honey-colored hair from her face, Danny fought an inner war with himself. He wanted to tell Mac to hell with his back but he recognized the wisdom in Mac's words even if he hated the truth. He nodded and allowed Mac to scoop his wife into his arms. The way her left arm dangled, both men presumed her shoulder was dislocated. Tenderly, Danny tucked the injured appendage close to her body and the two men gingerly picked their way over the debris to the doorway. Adam had slid to the ground leaning against the doorframe. His head was bowed, not watching them.

Danny knelt beside him and touched his arm forcing him to look up. "Adam, let's get out of here."

Adam looked past him to Lindsay's still form in Mac's arms. "Is she…?" He couldn't bring himself to finish the question but Danny knew what he was trying to ask.

"She's alive. Can you walk? Cause I know for sure I can't carry you."

Adam nodded dazedly and allowed Danny to help him up. Adam had to grip the doorframe for just a second to steady himself but then he was ready to follow them out. The three men with their unconscious bundle made their way to the stairs. The going down was slower because Adam wasn't steady on his feet. Two flights down, Mac stopped and looked at Danny. He hated what he was about to ask but he was worried about Adam walking much further with what had to be a concussion.

"Maybe you should wait here with Adam and I'll send a medic back up with a stretcher. He looks like he could pitch forward any minute."

Danny looked from Adam to Lindsay. Since she had lost consciousness, they really couldn't afford to wait for medical help to arrive but Adam would probably be better off if he didn't try to walk any further. But if he stayed behind with Adam, then he'd probably miss out on going to the hospital with Lindsay. He knew Mac wouldn't ask if he could figure out any other way. He was just about to agree to the plan despite how much he hated the idea when Adam spoke up. "No way. I'm sorry I'm slowing you down but I can make it. Lindsay needs Danny. It's not going to be my fault she doesn't have him with her now."

"You sure, Adam?" Mac watched him carefully for any hint that he wasn't fit for continuing. The way Adam wouldn't look at either of them men, Mac sensed something more was going on in Adam's head than just the concussion. Something more emotional than physical. Whether he should walk down the stairs or not, he needed to do this for Danny and Lindsay. "Alright then, let's go. Let us know if you need to rest a moment. That's and order."

Danny was relieved that the decision had been taken out of his hands. He hoped it wasn't that obvious to either Mac or Adam though. As it was, there were several times they had to stop and let the injured man catch his breath. About a third of the way down, they began hearing the clattering of footsteps coming toward them.

Firefighters stopped when they reached them and Mac gave them a brief report of the scene at the lab and on Lindsay's condition. One of the firefighters gave both Lindsay and Adam a brief once-over and nodded.

"We've got a medical unit staged on the fifteenth floor. If you can get them that far, the medics have control of the elevator from there."

Mac nodded and the CSIs continued down. After another flight, Mac felt Lindsay stir in his arms and heard her groan softly. He looked down and saw her eyes flutter open. "Danny, she's waking up." He stopped and Danny, who had been lagging behind with Adam, caught up. The younger man gingerly caressed her bruised cheek.

"Lindsay, Sweetheart, can you hear me?"

She didn't answer except to groan with pain. However her half-opened eyes darted around searching for the face to match the familiar voice. Their positions were too awkward for her to see him as she began to struggle in Mac's arms despite the pain. Danny moved behind Mac's shoulder so that he was in her line of sight.

"Easy Babe, it's okay. Mac has you. Don't move around so much; you'll hurt yourself."

"Dan'? Hurts."

Tears filled his blue eyes again. A knife to his heart wouldn't have hurt as much. He would have traded places with her in a moment if he could. "I know. We're getting ya to help." He looked at Mac. "I'll take it slow with Adam; you go on and get her to the paramedics."

Mac nodded knowing how much Danny didn't want to be separated from Lindsay. He had seen how hesitant Danny had been earlier when he had suggested splitting up even though the younger man had tried hard not to show it to Adam. For him to now suggest it himself told him just how much Danny had grown in the years since he'd met Lindsay. Part of him wanted to forget his earlier concerns and transfer the young woman into her husband's arms so he didn't have to make the sacrifice. The saner part of him realized that if Danny's back seized up and he fell, the results would be worse than a brief separation. Instead, he offered him a promise pretty sure he knew why Danny hadn't wanted to split up. "I won't let them take her down until you get there."

Danny nodded and maneuvered from behind Mac's shoulder to the step below so that he could press a kiss to Lindsay's cheek. "I love you, Lindsay. I'll be right behind ya."

"Love…too." With that declaration still floating from her lips, Mac took off at a quicker pace still mindful not to jar her too much.

Adam touched Danny's arm. The journey down the stairs had been rough on the injured tech despite his earlier insistence that he could make it. He'd been walking slower and slower leaning on whatever was closest. Danny watched Mac's retreating figure until he disappeared around the next bend in the stairs before looking at Adam.

"You okay, Buddy?"

"Been better," he admitted. "Danny, I know you're worried about Lindsay. Go on, catch up to Mac. I'll be okay alone. It's only a few more floors, right?"

As much as Danny wanted to be with Lindsay, he didn't give Adam's offer a second thought. "Not a chance. Mac'll take care of her. Let's get you there safely as well."

Adam realized it would do no good to argue with Danny about it now; it would only delay things more so he continued walking, his mind going over what had been puzzling him since the explosion. "How did this happen? What could have caused the explosions? We just had evidence to process, nothing dangerous."

"What kind of evidence were you working on?" Danny asked. He didn't want to press the injured man for information but talking seemed to be helping Adam keep it together.

"Clothes from Jo's triple last night. I don't know what was in the evidence boxes the officer dropped off this morning. Lindsay was about to start on it when I went for coffee. Mac could tell us though."

"How would Mac know? What officer?" Alarms were going off in Danny's head.

"Didn't recognize him. Just dropped off the boxes from Mac's crime scene. Said Mac wanted a rush on it. Figure it must have been pretty important if Mac sent it before leaving the scene."

"Mac hadn't sent any evidence back from our scene. He was just getting started with the processing when I got there."

"He hadn't? So what was in the boxes?" Adam stopped and looked at him as realization dawned. Whatever color that had come back to his face draining rapidly. "You think it was a bomb? I accepted a bomb into the lab and didn't know it? And then I left Lindsay alone to open it? Oh God, I'm gonna be sick."

Danny helped Adam to sit for a moment as the injured man swayed on his feet. He had to admit that Adam was starting to look a little green.

"Adam, it's not your fault. Okay? Some sicko targeted the lab. There's no way you could've known. So quit blamin' yourself. Got it?"

Adam nodded and swallowed back the bile threatening him. He knew he had to get it together so he didn't keep Danny away from Lindsay any longer than necessary. He'd already caused them enough problems. Gripping the hand rail, he pulled himself up. He was dizzy and nauseated but he couldn't let that stop him. "Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has left a review; it makes my day to know that people are enjoying this story. I hope the characters continue to stay true to how they are on the show. I try to picture the events in my head like an episode so I hope that it comes across that way when you read it. I hope you enjoy this chapter; I think its my favorite so far.

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 4

Mac burst through the stairwell door on the 15th floor and shouted for a medic. Within seconds, paramedics were at his side with a stretcher and their gear. Mac eased Lindsay onto the stretcher, wincing as she was unable to stop a sharp cry of pain as her arm was jostled.

Her chocolate eyes rolled back in her head from the pain. A medic gently pinched her cheek to keep her conscious. "Stay with us, Miss. What's your name?"

Mac started to answer him but a quick glare shut him up. He realized the medic was checking Lindsay's lucidity.

"Lindsay M…Messer. Mac, where's Danny?"

"Her husband." Mac explained to the medics, pleased by her first real sentence since they found her. He knelt beside her stretcher so that she wouldn't have to strain to see him. "He's right behind us, Lindsay. He's helping Adam."

"Adam 'kay?" Lindsay managed weakly. The little strength she still had was waning quickly.

"He'll be fine." Mac assured her as he watched the medics work. Soon, they had her arm and shoulder immobilized in a splint and gauze covered the worst of her cuts. The medic was just starting an IV when Danny and Adam came through the door from the stairway. Mac left Lindsay's side to go check on his other injured team member.

By now, Adam was leaning heavily on Danny and he gratefully sank onto the stretcher a medic had waiting for him. Danny left him with the paramedics and went to Lindsay's side, kneeling beside her. He kissed her tenderly. When he broke off the kiss, he buried his head in her hair, unable to get enough of her scent. It didn't matter to him that others were looking on; he desperately needed this contact with his wife.

"I've never been so scared in my life." He admitted to her. Reluctantly he sat up and looked into her eyes, grateful that she was awake and appeared more coherent than she'd been in the stairwell.

"Sorry." A couple of tears escaped past her eyelashes and Danny tenderly wiped them away allowing his hand to caress the side of her face.

"No apology." He looked at the medic. "How is she?"

"She's pretty banged up but nothing life threatening. We're ready to transport. We'll take her to Mercy."

Danny nodded. As far as he was concerned she should have been on her way to the hospital from the moment they had pulled that file cabinet off her. He stood as the medic raised the stretcher for transport. "I'm coming with you." It wasn't a question but the medic shook his head.

"You can ride down in the elevator with us but that's as far as you can accompany her. We'll be transporting both patients in one bus and there won't be room for passengers. Don't worry; we'll take good care of her."

Danny wanted to protest. He knew it made sense but it felt like everyone and everything was conspiring to keep him away from his wife. Mac gripped his shoulder. "Come on; I'll drive."

The elevator was full with two patient-laden stretchers, three paramedics and the two mobile CSI's. Under normal circumstances, Mac and Danny probably would have been told to take a different elevator but the medic seemed to sense that it would not be wise to press his luck with separating the married couple. Danny kept a tight grip on Lindsay's uninjured hand. Her eyes were closed but he didn't think she'd lapsed back into unconsciousness. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. As they exited, Jo Danville raced to them.

"I heard the radio call that survivors had been found. Lindsay and Adam are the only two unaccounted for so I was hoping it was them." She looked from one stretcher to the other. Adam's head gash had been covered with gauze and he was pale but clearly conscious. Lindsay looked smaller than usual and more vulnerable than she'd ever looked to Jo. Raising an eyebrow in question to Mac, she was relieved to see him nod, indicating they would both be okay. Their silent exchange continued when he raised his eyebrow to her indicating he wanted a report.

"Flack is questioning everyone who was in the lab at the time of the explosion." She fell into step as they rushed to the ambulance.

Mac nodded. "Help him. I'm going with Danny to the hospital; I want to know immediately if we get any idea who's responsible. We're going to Mercy."

Just before the medics loaded Lindsay's stretcher into the ambulance, Danny cupped her face in his hands trying to be mindful of her bruises. "Babe, I'll be right behind you. I don't want to leave you but they won't let me come with you. Mac's going to drive so you know we can almost beat you to the hospital. I love you so much, you know that, don't ya?"

She tried to nod but the movement caused pain to explode just about everywhere. She bit back a groan figuring if Danny saw her pain, he'd never let her out of his sight no matter what. "Love you too, Babe.."

He covered her mouth with his own in one more kiss. This kiss was almost desperate a mixture of relief that he was still able to do so and worry that it could somehow, despite the medic's reassurance, be the last time. The medic gently tugged his arm, not wanting to break up the emotional moment but needing to transport his patients. Danny stepped away and watched as the stretcher was loaded into the back of the ambulance.

Once it was secured in place, they positioned a backboard under Adam and lifted him into the ambulance. Two stretchers wouldn't fit in the back of the ambulance but the bench in the back was designed to accommodate an additional patient on a backboard. As the medics were securing Adam and the backboard to the bench, Mac stepped between Danny and the ambulance. "Come on, we still have to retrieve the Avalanche from the loading doc. If we go now, we'll probably make it around here by the time the bus actually leaves."

Danny nodded and followed him. He still looked over his shoulder every so many feet to get another glimpse of Lindsay while he still could. As Mac had predicted by the time they had pulled into traffic, the ambulance was just pulling away from the curb. Mac pulled in directly behind them. From the grim set of Danny's mouth and the slight rocking in his jaw, Mac could tell the younger man needed a distraction. "Two explosions according to Adam. What do you think Lindsay meant by 'evidence…no evidence'?"

Danny recognized what Mac was doing and tore his eyes away from the retreating ambulance. "Adam told me an officer he didn't recognize brought in two boxes of evidence from your crime scene. The bombs had to be in there. Probably the same person who dropped off the letter to you. Damn it Mac, this guy walked right into the New York City Crime Lab and dropped off two bombs that almost killed my wife and then walked right back out. How does that happen?"

"I wish I had that answer. There's something about that note that was familiar but I can't put my finger on it. But I will and then we'll find evidence that will tell us who did this. We will get this guy, Danny. He will pay for what he's done. I promise you that."

For a few minutes they rode in silence. Danny stared out the window as Mac concentrated on the traffic. At a stoplight, Mac glanced over and saw that Danny was blinking back tears, his fears obviously getting the best of him. The older man's heart went out to the man he considered a pseudo-son. There was no question that he had a soft spot where the young couple and their beautiful daughter - his goddaughter- were concerned. The fact that they had already been through so much made this newest situation even more cosmically unjust. He reached out and gripped Danny's shoulder. "She's going to be fine, you know. She's been conscious and talking maybe not so well at first but by the time we got her to the medics even that had improved. I know it was hard seeing her look so battered, but you've got to focus on the positive."

Danny nodded, brushing away the tears impatiently. 'I know. She's damn lucky. But my mind keeps playing the what if's. What if the explosion had been worse? What if we hadn't been able to find her? What if we had found her but was too late? How would I live without her? How would I explain to Lucy that Mommy wasn't coming home?"

"But we did find her and she is alive. The what ifs didn't happen so you don't have to worry about the how woulds. Instead you'll have to worry about convincing my energetic goddaughter that she has to be careful of Mommy's injuries when you take her home. And you will get to take her home. Keep that in mind."

Danny nodded. Mac could tell his thoughts were still going in dangerous directions so he asked the question he'd been holding back since the lab. "Marco Polo? Care to explain?" A small smirk flitted across his features. "Wait, if it's some new kinky couple's game, I don't want to know."

Danny laughed in spite of his worries. "Nah, nothing' like that. After spending a couple of panic filled hours hunting Lucy as she played hide and seek we discovered we needed a back up plan. The kid loves to hide and she's good at it as well. Now if we can't find her we call out 'Marco' and she has to answer 'Polo.' It seems to work better than putting out an Amber alert every time she disappears in the house."

"I'll have to remember that the next time I babysit." He pulled in at the hospital behind the ambulance and Danny was out of the Avalanche without another word. Mac watched him go and then turned the Avalanche around to park properly.

Once Mac made it to the emergency room, he checked on Adam first. He was directed to a small cubicle where a doctor was in the process of examining the head wound. Mac stood at the end of the bed and waited for the doctor to finish his exam. "What's the verdict, Doc?"

"He'll be fine. I'm going to put in a few stitches to close up the wound. I'm pretty sure that it's a slight concussion but I'm also going to order a CT of his head just in case. If it comes back clear, I see no reason to keep him as long as he promises to take it easy. I'll be right back."

Adam waited until the doctor was out of the cubicle. "You don't suppose when he says clear he really means completely brainless, do you?" He laughed nervously.

Mac shook his head, a small smile ghosting his lips. "No, I don't. How do you feel?"

"Other than a headache that won't quit, I'm okay. The dizziness and nausea seemed to let up once I was lying down. How's Lindsay?"

Mac pulled a stool closer. "She'll be fine."

Adam didn't look convinced. "The doctor say that? Cause she didn't look fine to me. She looked far from fine and it's all my fault. She shouldn't have been in that lab. She was being nice and giving me a hand cause I looked tired. It's all my fault."

At the second mention of it being Adam's fault, Mac leaned in and assumed his strictest expression. His earlier believe that something more was going on than just the concussion was proving true and he needed to put a quick end to it. "Are you offering a confession of planting a bomb in my lab? Because that's the only way any of this would be your fault. Lindsay was in the lab because that's where she chose to be. If she sent you to get coffee, it was because she was concerned about you. And Lindsay will be okay. No, I haven't heard the doctor say that but the paramedic at the scene was sure there were no life-threatening injuries. So no more talk about fault, okay?"

Adam nodded and closed his eyes against the pain in his head. After a couple of seconds he reopened his eyes. "I didn't plant the bomb but from what I gathered from Danny, I probably allowed the bomb in. I didn't recognize the officer and I guess I should have asked more questions."

"Was he in a uniform?" Once Adam nodded, Mac continued. "Then why would you suspect that it was anything but evidence? You didn't do anything wrong, Adam. What did the evidence look like?" Mac knew he didn't have much time before the doctor returned but figured he'd get the information while he could. Besides, giving Adam concrete things to focus on was better than his current thoughts. Adam was good at focusing on minute details that others might miss. Mac knew finding evidence in the destroyed lab might not be feasible so Adam's memory might be the best they had.

"Two boxes sealed with red evidence tape. One box was the size of a milk crate, pretty heavy; I'd say about ten pounds or more. The second box was smaller and lighter. I hadn't even had a chance to break the seal so I never saw inside the boxes. I'm sorry, Mac."

The doctor came back in, "I'll have to ask you to return to the waiting room while I stitch up the wound."

Mac nodded. "One more question, Adam. Can you describe the officer?"

Adam closed his eyes again and concentrated past the throbbing in his head. "About 5'7" or 8", brownish blonde hair, crew cut. Green eyes. Tattoo of some kind of bird on his neck."

Recognition dawned on Mac. "Thanks, Adam; you may have just broke this case wide open. Obey the doctor and I'll check on you later."

He stepped out in the hall to see Danny walking toward him. "How's Lindsay?"

"Still conscious but trying not to let me see the hellish pain she's having. Doctor kicked me out while they're running scans and x-rays on her head and shoulder. The doctor think it's a simple dislocation on her shoulder - as if the words 'simple' and 'dislocation' even belong in the same senence. If the tests confirm it, they're going to sedate her and pop her shoulder back in place., otherwise he'll have to take her to surgery to do it. Either way, Doc says it may be an hour or two before I can see her again. So once again I have to wait without her. How's Adam?"

"Feeling guilty, but I think he just helped me figure out who did this. Remember Steve Grant?"

Danny wracked his memory. "Sort of sounds familiar. Give me something more?"

"Six years ago, he killed his wife and son but made it look like a burglar had done it. It was almost a perfect crime…"

"Except for the evidence we uncovered that proved he did it." Danny completed for him, now remember the man in question. "Shouldn't he still be in jail though?"

Mac shook his head. "He had a great defense attorney that convinced the jury that he was insane at the time of the murders. If I remember correctly, the jury sentenced him to around five years in a secure mental hospital. He should be out now."

Danny shook his head. "Doesn't seem fair. Anybody who would kill his own family has to be crazy; doesn't mean they should get an almost free pass at it. You think its him?"

"Remember the wording on the note? When I was interrogating him six years ago, he said something about committing the perfect crime. I told him my lab had blown apart his whole plan. It has to be him."

Danny nodded. "So lets go pay him a visit. I'd much rather be in there with Linds but since that ain't happenin' I'd rather do something productive. If I have to sit around here just waiting for a couple of hours, I'll go crazy. Let's haul him in so I can assure my wife its all over when I see her again.

Man nodded as the two men left the waiting room. Once back in the Avalanche, Mac made a couple of calls to determine Steve Grant's current location. After learning that he had indeed been released and getting his address, Mac requested that back-up meet them there. The dispatch promised that they would be sent but wasn't sure how long it would take since everyone was still handling things at the lab.

Danny shook his head. "This is so messed up. Lindsay and Adam were the only two injured in the blast and neither of them were even here when we initially investigated Grant."

"Not that it makes it any better but I don't think he was targeting the people in the lab but the lab itself. Otherwise he would have used a more powerful bomb that would have destroyed everything and everyone. When he said he was returning the favor I really think he meant the lab - specifically the Trace lab- would be blown apart. Adam and Lindsay just got caught in the crossfire."

"Why that particular lab?"

"Because it was trace on the son's clothes that led us to Grant." Mac stopped outside Grant's apartment building. No other officers were in sight. "No back-up yet."

Danny unbuckled his seatbelt. "Dispatch did say it might take awhile. You know how crazy things were at the lab."

"I know; wasn't sure if you realized it though. It seemed like your focus was on a certain brown-haired wounded CSI. I don't mean Adam either."

Danny shrugged. "What can I say, details floated in around all that. Do we wait on 'em?"

Mac shook his head. "And risk Grant destroying evidence or getting away? Not a chance. There's two of us; that's all protocols call for. Grab the vests."

Less than five minutes later, Mac and Danny were standing outside Steve Grant's door. Both men kept one hand on their service revolver and Mac used his other hand to rap sharply on the door. Exchanging a look, Danny knocked next.

"Steve Grant, NYPD. Open the door."

Almost immediately three shots fired through the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's notes: WOW! Your reviews are just awesome! Thank you so much for all your kind words. I'm glad you are still enjoying the story. I really want to be able to add a new chapter each night but this might be the last update until the weekend. Hopefully I'll get the next part finished in time but I can't make any guarantees. Until now I've been at least one chapter ahead of the update but I'm only halfway through writing the next chapter since I've combined and lengthened each chapter. It was a lot easier getting chapters written last week during Spring Break. For some reason teaching is getting in the way of writing. However, I will catch up as quickly as I can will have the next chapter for you by Saturday at the latest.

Disclaimer: My dreams haven't come true so I still don't own them.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 5

Danny and Mac flattened themselves against the wall as the shots bored holes through the door. They had positioned themselves on either side of the door before they knocked so the bullets missed them completely. As soon as the last shot reverberated down the hall, Mac kicked in the door. The two men exchanged looks and Mac nodded. They twisted and Mac aimed high and Danny low. When a fourth shot rang out, both men unloaded their clips in the direction the shot came from.

Easing cautiously into the apartment, they saw Grant lying in a pool of blood, gun still in his hand. Mac kicked the gun away and felt for a pulse. "He's alive; call a bus."

As Danny called for the ambulance, Mac checked the rest of the apartment to find it empty. Flack and several other officers entered the apartment, guns drawn. Flack looked around, putting his gun away as it appeared the danger had passed. "Everything okay?" He looked down at Grant. "Who is this guy?"

Mac gestured to a discarded police uniform and a table with parts that looked suspiciously like bomb parts. "The guy who attacked the lab this morning."

Flack frowned as the paramedics entered and started to treat Grant. He pulled Mac aside. "How did you two figure all this out? Why is Danny here re-enacting the shootout at the OK corral instead of at the hospital with his wife?

Mac filled Flack in on the note and Adam's description. "He's the reason why Lindsay and Adam are in the hospital right now. Of that I have no doubt." He looked over at the paramedic. "What hospital are you taking him to?"

"Mercy. We'll need an officer to ride with us. I doubt he's going to be a problem but protocol says we can't transport a prisoner with an escort."

Mac nodded. "Danny, ride with the medics. As soon as an officer can relieve you at the hospital, you'll be free to rejoin Lindsay. I'll stay here and handle IA. I'm sure they'll have a few questions."

"You got one thing right, Detective Taylor."

Mac turned to face the new arrival. He recognized her as one of the Internal Affairs officers but couldn't place her name. Her arms were folded across her chest and her expression was serious, bordering on furious. "You got here fast."

"Word spreads quickly when officers gun down a suspect. I understand we have you and Detective Messer to thank for this." Her arms unfolded to gesture at the scene much the way someone would point out a dead mouse.

Mac wasn't sure why but he felt the need to offer an explanation as to their actions. "We had a lead and we followed up on it. The suspect opened fire on us after we identified ourselves. We had no choice but to defend ourselves."

"We'll see about that. You will come back to headquarters with me and Detective Messer will ride back with Detective Jamison."

Mac didn't like the way she had countermanded his orders. "With all due respect, Detective…" He glanced at her name badge. "Sawyers, Detective Messer is needed back at the hospital. His wife was injured in the blast at the lab this morning."

"Perhaps he should have thought of that before chasing down a suspect on his own."

Mac opened his mouth to argue but the female IA detective turned to Flack. "I trust you can assign a different office to escort and guard the suspect."

Flack nodded and glanced at Danny to gauge his reaction. The Staten Island native was frowning and shaking his head. Danny had to offer his own protests. "Look, I get it that IA has to get involved with an officer related shooting but I don't get the rush job here. Let me go check on my wife and I'll come in to be questioned. What's the problem with that?"

Detective Sawyers whirled on him eyes flashing. "The problem, Detective Messer? The problem is that mere hours after an incident at the crime lab, two of its officers show up, without back-up, at the apartment of the man they believe was responsible. That man is now being rushed to the hospital in critical condition from multiple gunshot wounds. Detective Taylor then recommends that one of the officers responsible for those gunshot wounds accompany the suspect to the hospital. Sounds more like some vigilante justice than good police work. So sorry if my investigation isn't convenient for you."

Recognizing that Danny was about to lose what control he had, Flack grabbed his arm. "Danno, don't. Don't give her any more ammunition. Go with them and answer their questions. The quicker you do that the quicker you can go back to Linds. Okay? If it makes you feel better I can head over to the hospital and sit with her until you get back. I need to question her and Adam about the explosion anyway."

"Okay." Danny nodded, clearly still not happy with the situation but not willing to completely blow his top. Danny sighed. There was so much he wanted to tell Flack to tell Lindsay but didn't really want to say it in front of an audience. "Tell her I love her, man, but don't tell her about this. She doesn't need the extra worry."

Flack nodded. He was one of only two people in that room that knew just what that amount of control took from Danny and he was proud of his best friend. The last thing Flack wanted to do was lie to Lindsay but he also wouldn't go out of his way to tell her news that would upset her either.

He waited until Mac and Danny had reluctantly and grouchily left with the IA officers before making sure his officers had the scene under control. Feeling confident he wasn't needed, he left the apartment and headed to the hospital.

It didn't take him long once he arrived to learn that Adam had been discharged and to get Lindsay's room number. He took the elevator to the correct floor and quietly knocked on the door. Getting no answer, he eased the door open and stepped inside. He smiled at what he saw.

Adam may have been released but he hadn't left. Instead he was asleep in a chair near the left side of the bed. He was slouched in his chair with his feet propped on the bottom rail of Lindsay's bed. His arms were folded across his chest and his head was bowed so that his chin rested on his chest. Stepping closer, Flack could get a better look at his injuries. Apart from a gauze bandage on his temple and a few bruises he didn't look any worse for wear. Having not seen either Adam or Lindsay at the scene, he hadn't known what to expect. He'd gotten a report from Jo when she came to help him question the other lab techs but seeing for himself was more reassuring.

Next Flack looked at the bed where Lindsay was also asleep. Her wounds seemed to stand out more which he guessed made sense since he'd been told she'd actually been inside the lab that exploded while Adam had been right outside. Her left arm was encased in a sling and a similar gauze bandage rested on her right temple. A viscous dark bruise had already formed on her right cheek and her face looked swollen. But she was alive; the steady rise and fall of her chest beneath the blanket assured him of that.

Deciding the two had definitely earned the sleep, Flack pulled up a chair on the right side of the bed to wait. He didn't have to wait long. Lindsay shifted in the bed and groaned as the movement caused pain. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around disoriented and confused. "Danny?"

Flack leaned forward and gripped her uninjured hand in a reassuring squeeze. "Easy, Lindsay. You're safe in the hospital."

Her eyes fully opened and settled on him. She tried to sit up but yelped in pain. Flack helped her raise the bed to a more comfortable position. He smiled at her. "I'd ask how you felt but it seems like a stupid question."

"Don, where's Danny? I know he was here earlier or at least I seem to remember he was. I think I'm still a little drugged." Another wave of pain had her biting back moans.

Flack frowned. "Apparently not drugged enough if you're still in pain. Want me to get a nurse in here? I know what it's like nearly getting blown up. It ain't that fun but the drugs afterward weren't so bad."

"Not yet. Where's Danny? Why isn't he here?"

Sensing she was about to get upset if he kept avoiding her question, Flack returned to squeezing her hand. "He's fine, Linds. He and Mac are following up a lead on who hurt you. You know Danny; he ain't so good with the sitting and waiting - not when some nut job is out there who hurt his family. He'll be here as soon as he can but he sends his love in the meantime."

Lindsay nodded and relaxed against the pillow. She saw Adam in the chair on the other side of the bed still sound asleep. "Poor guy was exhausted before any of this happened. He okay?"

"The hospital didn't keep him so I assume so. What about you; what are your injuries?"

Blinking sleepily, Lindsay shook her head. "I'm not sure. Everything's real fuzzy after I opened the box. Bits and pieces really. I hurt just about everywhere though."

Flack nodded. He could find out specifics from the doctor later. He didn't want to do the what he was about to do but felt it was his duty as an officer. "You feel up to answering a couple of questions? If not, no problem; it can wait. Especially if you'd prefer for me to get the nurse in here with more pain meds; cause I can do that."

Despite her pain Lindsay couldn't help but smile. "You seem to be in an awful hurry to get her in here. Either you want to see me drugged up or you want to flirt with my nurse. Which is it?"

Flack laughed, pleased to see her humor was intact. Leaning forward he dropped a kiss on her forehead next to the bandage. "Neither; I just can't stand to see a friend in unnecessary pain. Although now that you mention it, the other two would be good perks. Seriously, do you need me to do anything for you? Is someone watching Lucy for you?" He realized he had effectively bypassed his own attempt to question her but wasn't really that upset about it.

"Nah, we just leave her locked in the apartment with a giant sippy cup of juice and a box of Cheerios in reach and the Disney channel on TV to keep her company. She can last for hours that way."

"Now you're just being a smartass. Seriously I know her preschool has pick up times. Do I need to call Danny's mom?"

Lindsay scrunched up her nose as she tried to think. "I have a vague memory of Danny calling her earlier but as fuzzy as my memory is, maybe you should. Then maybe you could call my husband and hurry him up. I get that he hates sitting around the waiting room but I'm not too fond of being kept waiting either."

The hospital door opened and an elderly nurse with a kind grandmotherly face stepped in. Remembering her earlier comment about Flack flirting with the nurse made Lindsay laugh but the chuckle turned to a grimace when the movement hurt her ribs. The nurse clucked her tongue in sympathy. "I had a feeling someone might be getting a little ready for some more pain medication."

Flack excused himself to go make his calls. He only hoped that maybe the pain medication would have lulled her back to sleep by the time he returned. If not, then he'd better be able to give Lindsay a good explanation for Danny's continued absence.

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI:NY -

Danny Messer sat in the interrogation room mentally reminding himself that it would do no good for his career if he planted his fist in Detective Jamison's face. It would improve his mood but not his career. He understood the man had a job to do. He really did. Cops like Truby proved that IA had a place in the police department. He just didn't want that place to be sitting opposite him asking the same questions over and over again. Especially not when he wanted to be back at the hospital checking on Lindsay. It was one thing to leave while the doctors were running tests and he couldn't be with her but enough time had passed that he would have been allowed back in and that's where he wanted to be.

"Detective Messer, explain to me again how you and Detective Taylor decided that Steve Grant was responsible for the explosion at the lab this morning."

Danny slowly counted to ten before answering. He knew from first hand experience the danger of saying the wrong thing in an IA investigation. Since Mac was also being investigated, he couldn't have him present to help him keep a cool head. He'd have to do it on his own. "Mac pieced it together; from what he told me it had to do with something he learned from Adam Ross. I don't know what it was."

"So on Detective Taylor's word alone you decided to go seek revenge on the man who injured your wife?"

"Revenge?" Danny shook his head with a frown. "Who said anything about revenge? We were going to bring him in for questioning."

"Hard to question him with two clips of bullets in him." Detective Jamison offered.

"We were only returning fire. He shot at us first."

"So you said."

Danny stood abruptly causing his chair to topple over. His fists clenched tightly, he began to pace back and forth. "So I said? So the evidence says. You did see the bullet holes in the door at the apartment, didn't you? The trajectory leaving the apartment not entering it? I know you wouldn't have let our team do it, but you did get a CSI team to process the scene, didn't you? I didn't want this guy dead. I wanted him to tell me why he did it."

Detective Jamison seemed unfazed by his outburst. "Sit down, Detective Messer. Getting upset won't get us anywhere. Why didn't you wait for back-up?"

Danny set the chair back upright and sat down. He had to admit that Jamison was right about that, getting upset would do no good. Casting Jamison in the role of villain wouldn't either. The IA officer was simply doing his job. A similar job of investigating that Danny himself had participated in on many occasions. Sitting on this side of the table, he could see why asking intentionally upsetting questions was such an effective interrogation tactic. He thought about the question. He had basically asked Mac the same question before they even went into the apartment but he wasn't going to throw Mac under the bus.

"We didn't want Grant to get away. Besides we are both detectives capable of bringin' in a suspect. We didn't do anything wrong."

Jamison tapped his pen against his pad of paper. Danny thought it was an annoying sound but then also remembered having drummed his fingers on the table while questioning suspects himself. Jamison looked him square in the eyes. "Look at it from our point of view. Both you and Detective Taylor are personally involved in this case; you more so since it was your wife who was injured. Now the suspect in that case is in critical condition after being shot by the two of you. If you were sitting on this side of the table, wouldn't that seem suspicious to you?"

Danny covered his face with his hands. Just then his cell phone rang. He reached for it and saw it was Flack calling. His heart hammered in his chest. When Jamison started to protest him answering his phone, Danny cut him off with a growl. "My wife is in the hospital. This call is from the person I sent to check on her so I could have this little tea party with you. Don't tell me not to answer." He flipped the phone open. "Flack, what's wrong? How's Lindsay?"

"_Asking for you. I told her you were following a lead but that won't hold her for long."_ Flack decided it would do no good to mention the pain Lindsay seemed to be in. He could only imagine the constraint Danny was having to display. Upsetting him about Lindsay would only make it harder for him to keep it together.

Danny ran his hand through his short hair. "Why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me? She really okay? They get her shoulder back in place? Did she have to have surgery?"

"_She was a little fuzzy on the details of her injuries but she was wearing a sling so I guess they got it back in place but I don't know the details of__ how. She seemed to think that maybe you had talked to your mom about picking up Lucy at preschool but wasn't absolutely sure. Do you need me to call her and let her know what's going on?"_

Danny frowned. "Lindsay didn't remember me calling Ma in the emergency room? When I told Ma what had happened she even made me put Linds on the line so she could hear for herself that she was gonna be okay. Then I had to convince her not to come rushing down to the hospital. She's gonna pick her up and then keep her tonight as well. Seriously, Lindsay didn't remember any of that? Maybe we need to talk to the doctor about the severity of the concussion."

"_I think her memory lapses might have a little more to do with the drugs they gave her than the concussion. There are still fuzzy moments in my memory of my time in the hospital. But if the doctor comes by I'll get a complete catalogue of all her injuries for you. Got any idea how much longer you'll be?"_

"No clue. Their game of twenty questions seems to be caught in a perpetual loop. Keep an eye on her and I'll get there as soon as I can. Thanks, Flack." He hung up and looked back at Jamison, who still looked annoyed to be kept waiting.

"Finished with your conversation? Good, let's start again."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I was able to get the next chapter ready a little earlier than I anticipated. Hope you enjoy. Hope nobody throws anything at me for how this chapter ends.

Disclaimer: Maybe if I wished hard enough, but nope, not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 6

Mac Taylor sat in a similar interrogation room just across the hall from Danny answering similar questions. Event though he had a cooler head than Danny, he was rapidly losing his ability to stay calm.

Detective Sawyers looked through a file, her hazel eyes narrowing just a little. "This isn't your first time to be investigated by IA. Nor is it Detective Messer's."

"When you've been officers as long as we have it is inevitable to be involved in shootings that are investigated. I don't know many who haven't been." Mac said thinly. He had expected his and Danny's old IA records to come into question. Interrogation 101 called for the interrogator to get the interrogated off kilter by bringing up any past investigations.

"True, but usually those are just formalities. Both you and Detective Messer have been investigated in questionable shootings. Some might say there's a pattern here." Detective Sawyers tucked a long strand of reddish brown hair behind her ear as if she were unconcerned but Mac knew she was trying to gauge his reaction. If she was looking for him to get upset, she would be disappointed.

"And IA decided against further proceedings in both incidents."

"In the case of Clay Dobson, you were upset that he'd been released on a technicality and had reprised his criminal behavior. You went off on your own there as well. Do you have a problem with working with others? Is that why you constantly fail to wait for back-up?"

Mac was not about to reargue old cases, nor was he going to allow her to draw parallels that weren't there. "This was not a case of me going off alone. I had a partner and I requested back-up. That back-up was delayed but I knew they would arrive shortly and we couldn't afford to let Grant get away. I regret having to discharge my weapon but we had no alternative when Grant opened fire. We clearly identified ourselves as NYPD before he fired a single shot. That wouldn't have changed if back-up had been there but it might have ended with more people getting hurt."

Detective Sawyers leaned back in her chair studying Mac intently. "You don't find emptying two clips into a single subject a bit excessive?"

"Not if the alternative was either myself or Detective Messer taking a bullet instead."

"Why take Detective Messer with you?"

"He was with me when I realized who was responsible for the explosion at the lab." Like Danny, Mac also knew how these interrogations worked and wasn't about to let Sawyers get the better of him.

"His wife was in the lab at the time of the explosion. She was seriously injured. That makes him pretty personally involved in the case. Did it not occur to you that as reckless as Detective Messer has proven to be, he had no business going after the suspect who injured his wife?"

Mac frowned. "Who said anything about Danny being reckless?"

"You did in your report after the Minhas shooting. You took him off the promotion grid because you believed he was reckless in the discharge of his gun in a public place."

"That was six years ago. He's not even the same person he was then."

Sawyers looked back in her notes. "Doesn't say anything about a personnel change in here. Are you saying I have the wrong file? That you have a second Daniel Messer working for you?"

She apparently knew exactly what buttons to push but he was determined not to let her win. "You know very well I don't mean physically. Emotionally he's not the same cop he was then; he's matured."

Now Sawyers frowned. "Did this maturity supposedly happen before or after he didn't report his badge stolen? A badge that then enabled a convicted felon escape from jail and target Detective Messer and his family. A felon that is also now dead."

Despite his earlier resolve to remain calm, Mac could feel himself losing it with that. The small family, Lindsay especially, was trying hard to put the whole Shane Casey incident out of their minds. They didn't need it dragged back out every time someone wasn't happy with their performance. "Shane Casey's death has nothing to do with his. He was shot in self-defense in the Messer's apartment while he was holding their daughter hostage. Not only did IA declare it a righteous shooting, but Detective Lindsay Messer received the Combat Cross for her heroism."

"That wasn't my investigation. If it had been, I would have looked a little more closely to see if she was coving for her husband."

Mac looked at her incredulously. "The evidence supported their stories."

"And as crime scene investigators, they would both be quite skilled in knowing how to make sure the evidence did just that, I'm quite sure."

His eyes narrowed into a glare. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is this an IA investigation or a witch hunt? It's one thing to question the events that happened today but your statement doesn't just insult Lindsay and Danny but it also calls into question the integrity of my whole lab. I will not stand by for that." The idea that she would accuse anyone from his lab of tampering with evidence was more than he could take.

"Anything Detective Messer did today, he did under orders from me. If you think you have enough proof that we did anything wrong then take our badges and charge us. Otherwise I'm taking Detective Messer back to the hospital so he can check on his wife.." He stood and started to cross to the door.

Sawyers stood as well. "Sit back down, Detective Taylor. I'm not through yet."

Mac's hand rested on the doorknob. "Well, I am. This interview is over and so is the one your partner is having with Detective Messer."

"Protocol calls for both of you to be put on Administrative Leave until our investigation is complete."

"You can submit your findings to Jo Danville; she'll be in charge of the lab while I'm on leave. Goodbye, Detective Sawyers." Without another glance backward, Mac opened the interrogation room door and strode out of the room.

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

The nurse had just left after administering Lindsay her pain medication when Adam opened his eyes and stretched a little. Rubbing his neck he smiled at her. "Hey, you're awake. How're ya feeling?"

Lindsay wrinkled her nose. "I'll let you know once the pain meds kick in. How about you? You've been sleeping pretty hard since I woke up."

Adam shrugged. "Thanks to the little pain pill they gave me in the ER, my headache has eased. I hope you don't mind me being here. After I was released, I came up here to check on you. Since you were alone I figured I'd sit with you until Danny returned. I didn't mean to fall asleep like that." He looked around. "Where is he?"

"Tracking down the guy who hurt us. You know Danny; he'd have worn a hole in the floor if they'd made him wait too long."

Adam laughed. Lindsay noticed it was his nervous laugh but didn't comment on it. She also noticed that her sometimes quirky friend wouldn't quite look directly at her and that he seemed a little uncomfortable. Finally Adam spoke. "He was pretty crazy with worry at the lab. I don't think I've ever seen him like that before. Not even after the shooting and he was in the wheelchair."

"Yeah, he can handle his own injuries much better than he can handle mine or Lucy's. Just about every time Lucy gets a little bump or bruise, Danny's ready to bring her to the emergency room."

"That must make your insurance company happy." He continued to look anywhere but directly at her. Lindsay narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Adam, I forgive you." Her statement seemed to come out of the blue and Adam looked surprised. "What? How?" Then softer, "You do?"

Lindsay sighed. "The question should have been 'for what.' Adam, come here." She patted the space on the bed beside her. The young man shook his head.

"No, I'll hurt you."

With a frown, she once more crooked her finger at him. "Get over here, Ross or so help me, I'll get out of this bed and hurt you. I'm reasonably sure that even injured I could take you but I probably don't have enough pain medication in me to do it without hurting. It'll be fine; it's not like you're going to be jumping up and down on the bed."

Reluctantly Adam stood and walked to the bed. He gingerly perched on the edge watching for any sign of pain. For her part, Lindsay schooled her features to avoid showing that yeah it did twinge her ribs a little but not much. She reached over and squeezed his hand.

"After my friends were killed I felt so guilty. Daniel Cadence had pulled the trigger but I still felt like it was my fault that I was alive and uninjured and they were dead. It didn't matter that everyone told me I had done nothing wrong, I was still plagued by the if only. Something tells me you are feeling a little bit the same way."

'Both Mac and Danny said it wasn't my fault; Mac was pretty adamant about it even. I know in my head that they are right but my heart keeps overriding my head saying I should have done something more. Pretty pathetic, huh?" Now he did meet her gaze, his eyes filling with tears.

"No, pretty human if you ask me. That's why I offer you forgiveness. Not because I think you did anything wrong but because its what you need to hear. None of my friends' parents ever said it to me; they thought that by telling me it wasn't my fault it would make me believe it. So if you need me to, I'll keep saying it until you realize its okay to forgive yourself."

Adam swiped at his tears and smiled self-depreciatively. He had to admit her admission of forgiveness made him feel better than Mac's assurance that he wasn't to blame. "How long did it take you to forgive yourself for what happened to your friends?"

"Some days I'm still working on it but I don't think it'll take you as long. In the meantime, no more of this being uncomfortable around me; it'll make me mad. I did mention that I could take you didn't I?"

Adam laughed and this time she was glad to hear it wasn't his nervous laugh. It was his first genuine laugh since before the explosion. "I change my mind; I think you scare me more than Danny does."

Lindsay smiled as well. "Then all is as it should be. Come here and give me a hug."

"But your shoulder, I'll hurt…" Catching her glare, he stopped himself. "Never mind."

He leaned forward and gently wrapped his left arm behind her right arm not willing to touch her left side. He let her determine the strength of the hug. About that time the door opened and Flack re-entered the room. "Whoa, what is this? I'm gone ten minutes and what happens? Wait 'til I tell Danny about this."

Despite his earlier admission that she scared him more than Danny, Adam quickly pulled away and scrambled back to his seat. "No, really it wasn't anything like that. I… uh…I…"

Lindsay held up her hand stopping Adam's protest. "That's right, Flack, you caught us. Adam and I have been carrying on a torrid love affair over our microscopes for years now. In fact I was so glad that Lucy looked like Danny when she was born; it saved me from having to perform a paternity test."

Adam looked at her in shock and then back to Flack in fear. "She's joking. We've never…"

Flack took pity on the poor lab tech. "Relax Adam; I've already established what a comedian Lindsay is. Glad to see you awake. I was having a hard time keeping Lindsay from finding a marker and using it to draw on your face." He looked at Lindsay. "Did Nurse Granny take care of the pain?"

Lindsay yawned deeply before answering. She could feel the drowsiness from the medicine creeping up on her. "It's getting there. She did ask for your number though; I hope it's okay that I gave it to her. Did you talk to Danny? Is he on his way?"

Flack shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "He's tied up with paperwork. He'll get here as soon as he can."

"Danny willingly doing paperwork when there's some place he'd rather be? Why do I think you are keeping something from me?"

"What is it with you two?" Flack protested, hoping to deflect her questioning. "Danny just accused me of the same thing."

Lindsay crossed her right arm across her chest but it wasn't as effective with her left arm immobilized. "Well, were you?"

"Was I what?" Flack hoped playing dumb would work for him.

"Keeping something form Danny?" Her voice was one she usually reserved for questioning difficult suspects. Flack knew he'd pushed his luck about as far as he could but wasn't ready to tell her everything just yet.

With a sigh, Flack admitted, "Just that you seemed to be in a lot of pain. Why don't you close those pretty brown eyes and let the pain meds do their job. I bet by the time you wake up, Danny will be here."

"So what are you hiding from me? You may as well tell me, otherwise I'm reaching for that phone on the night stand and calling anyone and everyone I can think of until I get a truthful answer."

Flack held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Relax. Danny didn't want you to worry. There was a shootout when Danny and Mac confronted the suspect. Neither Mac or Danny had so much as a scratch but the suspect was shot multiple times. Danny had to go to the station to answer IA's questions."

"Call the doctor." Lindsay's voice was quiet and void of emotion.

Flack's heart skipped a beat. Maybe he should have lied. "Why, what's wrong? Are you hurting?"

"What's wrong is my husband is in trouble and I need to be there for him. That's not going to happen until the doctor gets here to discharge me. Now call him or I'll push this little nurse's button and get 'Nurse Granny' as you called her to do it for me."

Adam looked from Lindsay to Flack like he would watch a tennis match. The idea that Mac and Danny were under investigation worried him and he could understand Lindsay's desire to be there to support her husband. However, it didn't take a genius to realize that Lindsay had no business being out of bed let alone released from the hospital. He knew both could be quite stubborn about getting their way. How would Flack handle it?

"No." The one word answer was simple but brooked no argument. Lindsay however was prepared to do just that. Before she could even say a word, Flack crossed the room and took the nurse's button from her. "Danny is fine. Amazingly enough he is holding himself together and he's going to get through this investigation. The big reason for that is despite how worried he is about you, he knows you are here being taken care of. If you check out and go to the station, Danny's going to go ballistic and he doesn't need that."

His phone rang before Lindsay could reply. He answered it with his usual, "Flack." He listened for a moment before answering. "Thanks. Keep me posted." He hung up the phone. "Grant, our suspect, is out of surgery and seems to be holding his own. That'll help Mac and Danny more than anything. Now will you promise to stay put?"

Reluctantly Lindsay nodded although she looked far from happy about it. Satisfied, Flack returned her button to her and then looked at Adam. He had another idea of something that could help Mac and Danny as well. "Mac said you saw the person who dropped off the bomb. You up to Iding our suspect?"

Adam nodded. "Anything that helps."

"Let's take an elevator ride and a walk then." He looked at Lindsay. "Will you be okay if we leave you alone? You won't pull something stupid and go AWOL on us as soon as we're down the hall?"

"I'll behave." She still felt like she should go to Danny but recognized the logic behind Flack's argument. She gave him a pitiful look." "You sure Danny was okay? He's only good at interrogations if he's leading them."

Flack smiled as he realized he had convinced her even if it was grudgingly. "Yeah, surprised me too. Somebody must have rubbed off on him or something." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Take my earlier suggestion and take that nap. Maybe he'll be here by the time you wake up."

"I'm going to hold you to that. If he's not, you are going to go down to the station and drag him back with or without IA's permission."

Flack chuckled. "It's a promise."

As the two men started to leave the room, Flack glanced back at Lindsay and was pleased to see she was already asleep. He smiled and mentally promised to thank Nurse Granny for her pain meds. A less drugged Lindsay might have been harder to deter.

Adam waited until they were in the elevator to speak. "Honestly, how much trouble are Danny and Mac in?"

Flack shrugged. "Hard to tell. The lead IA officer seemed pretty determined to make things difficult for them. I know what they were thinking; I just wish they'd have let someone not personally involved handle it. That way even if the shooting was inevitable, the motivation behind it wouldn't have been called in to question."

"They're good cops. They wouldn't have gone gunning for him on purpose."

"You and I know that but that doesn't help much when IA is thinking personally involved officers crossed the lines. Do I think the shooting was justified? Yes, I just hope IA comes to the same conclusion."

Stepping out of the elevator, Flack led Adam down the corridor to ICU. Outside the glass walls off the cubicle, Flack pointed to the man in the bed. "That's our suspect."

Adam looked at the suspect and swallowed hard. He looked back at Flack; opened his mouth before closing it again. He tried once again but still no sound would come out. He shook his head pointing at the suspect. "That ain't the guy who brought in the evidence."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews. A little bit of the case and then the Danny/Lindsay reunion. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 7

"What?"

Both men whirled around at Mac Taylor's thundering voice. Once he and Danny had arrived at the hospital, Mac had sent Danny to see Lindsay and he had continued up to ICU to check on Grant's status.

"Mac, I…um…" Adam stumbled all over his words. "That's not the right guy." He laughed nervously even though there was no humor in the moment.

Flack looked at Mac. "I though you had no doubt. You found a uniform and bomb parts in his apartment. How could he be the wrong person?"

"Adam, are you positive this isn't that man? Maybe he wore a disguise or something. He matched your description. We found evidence in his apartment linking him to the crime."

Adam appeared to want to shrink away. Despite his earlier comment about Danny and Lindsay scaring him, Mac scarred him more than anyone else ever could. He could feel the anger radiating off his boss; he was sure it wasn't directed at him but at the situation, yet it was anger nonetheless. He wish he could take his earlier admission back and just use his concussion to explain a memory lapse. But he had to be truthful because that's who he was and it would be what Mac wanted even if it hurt the case.

"I'm positive. I know he matches the description I gave you but there are differences. Things that couldn't have been disguises. The guy in there, his crew cut isn't as close like maybe it wasn't as recent. But the bird is the dead give away."

"Blackbird on the left side of his neck." Mac supplied from memory.

Adam nodded. "This morning the guy had a red bird on the right side. Looked pretty recent as well. I'm sorry. I wish I was wrong, but I'm not."

Mac sighed heavily. "I know, Adam; your attention to detail is one of the things that make you great at your job. I don't understand any of this . If Grant didn't deliver the bomb, why did we find evidence pointing to him in his apartment? Why did he shoot at us."

"Maybe he had an accomplice that actually delivered the bomb." Flack offered. "Would explain the similarities. I'll start looking into Grant's associates. See if I can find Mr. 'Red bird on my neck' How did it go with IA?"

Mac's mouth was set in a grim line. "Let's just say we are at an impasse but at least I was able to break Danny free for the time being."

"Good, I take it he's with Lindsay now. I had to tell her what happened and it took all I had to keep her from leaving the hospital right then. Since everything seems settled here, I'm going to head out and get started investigating Grant. Adam, you staying or would you like a ride? I'm pretty sure they won't let you leave the same way you came."

"Thanks. Sounds great. Could you drop me off at the lab? Maybe I can help sift through some of the evidence…"

"Absolutely not." Mac interjected. "You are to go home and rest like the doctor ordered. I'm going to call Jo and tell her if you step so much as a toe in the lab for the next couple of days, she's to have an officer escort you home - in cuffs if necessary. Understood?"

Adam nodded. Flack grinned. "Don't worry; I'd have never taken him there. What about you? Are you staying or leaving?"

"I'm going to stay. I want to check on Lindsay but I want to give her and Danny some time alone. They deserve and need the time after everything that's happened today. I'll find a quiet place and call Jo. IA may have put me on Administrative Leave but she can still keep me in the loop as to what's going on. Besides the case, we have a lab to put back together again."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Danny opened the door to Lindsay's room and stepped in. She was asleep and he stood there watching her. Except for the bruises and bandages he could pretend he had just arrived home after a long shift to find she'd already fallen asleep. As he watched he could almost feel his heart which had been racing all day slow to match the slow, even rise and fall of her own chest. She looked better than he had feared she would but he hated the fact that she was hurt at all.

Someone in white slipped into the room beside him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it was the nurse. His heart which had been beating in time with Lindsay's accelerated with fear of what news she might bring.

"She's one lucky woman." She comment dryly.

"Don't I know it. That blast could have easily killed her." It hurt his chest to even say it out loud.

A slow smile spread over the nurse's face. "Yeah, for that reason as well. However, I was talking about all the good looking men she's had checking on her. First there was that sweet young man who reminded me so much of my oldest grandson Tim. Then there was that tall, dark, and dreamy that I wish my middle daughter had met and married instead of that lazy bum she ended up with. Then there's you. Judging by the band on your finger, I'm assuming you're the one she snagged for her own. Too bad, I have a daughter your age I'd have introduced you to."

Danny blushed. "The other two guys were co-workers."

"My mom told me to become a nurse so I'd meet a handsome doctor. If I had known how handsome police officers were, I might have traded in my scrubs for a badge.

A smile crept into Danny's features in spite of the day he'd had. The nurse nodded approvingly. "There's the smile I was aiming for. I'm not usually so forward but I could see how worried you are about your wife. I figured a little joking would ease your mind a little bit - not that I didn't mean what I said, mind you. She's sleeping pretty hard right now because of the pain killer I gave her but she's going to make a full recovery."

"What is the extent of her injuries? I know the doctor was worried about her shoulder, ribs and a possible concussion but I don't know what he found in the scans."

"Her shoulder was dislocated but the doctor was able to sedate her and put it back in place. She'll have to wear that sling for a few weeks. Once she's out of the sling, the doctor will recommend physical therapy. But she should eventually regain full range of motion. As for the ribs, three or four ribs were cracked and the rest bruised. Painful but fortunately nothing we'd have to worry about puncturing her organs. Respiratory Therapy will come in later and make her do some deep breathing exercises."

Danny nodded. He'd broken ribs before and he knew how much regular breathing hurt but it was either force himself to breathe deeply or risk pneumonia settling in. "What about her head?"

"Scans looked good; the doctor is not anticipating any lingering problems but she does have a concussion. She might have trouble remembering all the details of the accident and she'll definitely have a headache for a couple of days. Frankly she'll probably be sore all over for several days but the doctor will probably release her early tomorrow."

"I know when my muscles are sore a hot shower or bath always help. Would it be okay for her to have one later if she up to it? I'll help her."

"A shower will be fine. Just keep in mind that showering is all that she has business doing for a couple of weeks while you are in there 'helping' her."

Once again Danny blushed deeply. The nurse laughed. "No sense getting embarrassed about loving your wife. In fact I can think of something else that might help both of you feel a little better. That bed might be small but why don't you go squeeze into it with your wife. I know you want to."

Danny glanced at her. He saw on her badge that her name was Martha. "How do you know that?"

"Son, I've been married to the same man for forty-two years and my husband still looks at me the way I saw you looking at her. And I know that if it were me in that bed, that's where my husband would want to be. So go."

"You sure its okay? I don't want to hurt her."

"She's so medicated right now, she probably won't even know you are there. You relax and I'll make sure the two of you aren't disturbed."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "I thought this was a hospital not a hotel. You got a do not disturb sign in your pocket?"

Now she laughed. "Almost. We have signs at the nurses' desk that request no visitors and directs them to our desk instead. I'll put one on her door and when she wakes up and the two of your are ready for visitors, just buzz the desk and I'll remove the sign. I can even hold off Respiratory for an hour or so. Sound good?"

Leaning over, Danny kissed her cheek. "If you can give us time alone, I'll set your daughter up with my friend."

She cocked her eyebrow back at him. "Which one, cute and sweet or tall and dreamy?"

"Either one or both if you'd like."

She laughed out loud. "I think Mrs. Messer snagged the right guy. If you need anything at all, just buzz the desk."

As soon as he was alone with his wife, Danny crossed to the bed and toed his shoes off. Despite the nurse's assurance that he wouldn't hurt Lindsay, he gingerly eased into the right side of the bed next to her. He was lying on his side with his right arm draped over the pillow so that he could run his fingers softly through her hair. His left hand, he placed on her chest so that he could feel the reassuring beat of her heart.

Martha was wrong, however, Lindsay seemed to instantly know he was there. Even though she didn't waken, she did sigh in contentment as soon as he was beside her. She nestled her head closer until it rested on his shoulder and her whole body seemed to visibly relax. A hint of a smile ghosted her lips.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there watching her before she did that little sudden intake of breath she always did before waking up. Her eyes blinked a couple of times before lazily opening all the way.

"I hope this isn't a dream but if it is don't wake me up." her voice was still a little husky with sleep.

With a chuckle he leaned down and kissed her. "You're not dreaming. I'm really here."

She gave a little stretch and winced at the pain the sudden movement caused. She buried her head deeper into his shoulder, still sleepy. "When did you get here?"

"Not long ago."

"You should have woken me up. What have you been doing, just watching me sleep?""Nah, I've also been doing some thinking. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to figure out some plastic bubble system for you and Lucy to walk around in. I don't think I could handle anything else happened to you."

"What about you? You don't have the best track record of remaining uninjured yourself. Besides, I could think of some major drawbacks of this plastic bubble system. I wouldn't be able to do this." She stretched up a little to give him another light kiss.

Danny chuckled. "I'll work on a solution to that one. I'm sorry I deserted you earlier. I expected to be back before you woke up."

"How did it go with the IA investigation?"

Danny stiffened and laid back on the bed staring at the ceiling. "Flack wasn't suppose to say anything about that."

"To give him credit, he tried every way to keep from telling me. When I finally got the information out of him, I almost checked out of the hospital to go check on you."

Danny sighed. "Babe…"

"Don't worry. Flack talked me down. Saner heads and good drugs prevailed. So?"

"I'm on Administrative Leave until the investigation is complete. The detective that questioned me asked some pretty probing questions but I think Mac's was worse. Jamison seemed surprised when Mac stormed in and told him the interview was over. He didn't say much on the ride here but I think Sawyers really went rough on him. You gotta admit, neither one of us have squeaky clean records. I think I screwed up this time, Babe." He admitted softly.

Lindsay pushed herself up so she could see him better. This time she ignored the twinge in her ribs. "Dan?"

"We followed protocols. Technically we did everything right. Had it been any two other offices, IA probably wouldn't hesitate calling it a righteous shooting."

"Then what are you worried about?"

Danny gently tugged her down so she was lying against him. He wrapped his arms around her lightly, careful not to squeeze her. "Because it wasn't any two other offices, it was Mac and me. We were personally involved, especially me. That automatically brings everything we did into question, all our motivations. I don't know if our actions will hold up in that kind of scrutiny. Jamison pretty much said he thinks I went there hell bent on getting revenge."

Lindsay shook her head. "They just don't know you, Danny. If they did, they would know you wouldn't…"

"Do you? Cause I don't." Danny sighed and apologized. "Sorry. See, I never had a conscious thought of wanting to kill or hurt him. I had every intention of just bringing him in for questioning. I know it for a fact in my head but subconsciously?" He shook his head. "From the moment I knew you were in that lab I've been crazy with worry. You know how I get when something happens to either you or Lucy. What if subconsciously I was hoping for a reason to unload on him? I really can't say what was going through my mind when he fired those shots through the door."

Twisting her head so that she was looking Danny straight in the eye, Lindsay spoke softly. "Danny, as much as I love being the center of your universe, maybe you weren't even thinking about me at that moment."

Bending his head down to kiss her nose, Danny argued. "I'm always thinking about you and Lucy. Every minute of every day no matter what else is going on. Seriously though, what else could have been on my mind?"

"What happened the last time you and Flack went to bring in a suspect and were fired upon."

"The Marcella Gomez murder? We didn't even fire a shot in that one. He shot through the door and then threw down his weapon."

"And then proceeded to beat the crap out of both you and Flack."

"The bruises didn't hurt as bad as the chewing out you gave me for taking unnecessary risks. Crossing you is not good, Woman."

Lindsay smiled. "So maybe you were deciding to be a little more cautious this time to avoid another tongue lashing. Shoot rather than tackle?"

His fingers worked their way through her hair and he grinned. "Not saying your right or wrong, cause I just don't know. But if you are then that would mean you were still the center of my universe. Did I mention I'm really glad that you are okay?"

"Maybe not in words but your hugs and kisses have given me a little bit of an idea. I'm just a little surprised Flack and Adam haven't come back. Don wanted Adam to ID your suspect."

"Mac was heading there as well. All three of them may be out there right now. However your nurse promised to give us a little alone time before allowing visitors to come back in. I have you all to myself for as long as we want or Respiratory comes to make you breathe."

"I'm breathing quite well without Respiratory. I don't want them to come in; they'll make my ribs hurt and then I'll need more pain medication that'll make me sleepy. I'd rather just lie here and cuddle with you." But then her stomach growled very audibly. She blushed and Danny laughed.

"Hungry?"

"I didn't think so. We had those giant muffins from the coffee shop this morning on our way to the lab. It hasn't been that long since breakfast has it?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know; time sorta seemed to stop when I heard about the explosion and I haven't thought to even look at my watch." He twisted his wrist so that he could read the dial. His eyes widened. "Wow, it's after five. I guess time didn't really stop and you have every reason to be hungry. Want me to buzz Martha and ask her if you can have something to eat? We can resume our cuddling tonight after everyone has gone home for the night."

"Deal."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: This chapter goes more into the case. The end kind of took on a life of its own. I'll apologize now.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 8

Sheldon Hawkes stood in the doorway of the destroyed Trace lab. He'd been in court when the call had gone out about the explosion. He'd heard about it from one of the officers also slated to testify that morning. He'd wanted to leave right then but had to wait until after he had testified. Thanks to manipulation by the defense attorney it had been after lunch before he'd been released by the judge.

By then Lindsay and Adam had been transported to the hospital and word was coming in that Mac and Danny had been involved in a shootout. Feeling the need to do something productive, Hawkes had returned to the lab to help there. Jo had sent him to a portion of the lab that hadn't been damaged to sift through debris as it was brought in.

Now hours later, he was getting his first good look at the destruction. He shook his head. He had the report in his hands that told exactly the nature of the explosives used. With this information in his mind, he tried to imagine Lindsay standing there in the lab as the first explosion went off.

"Scary isn't it?" Jo Danville asked as she appeared suddenly at his right shoulder. She had found herself drifting back here several times in the hours since the fire department had declared it safe to return and she had finished helping Flack question the techs. Each time it had made her shudder to think how close they had come to losing two of their own. After her first visit to the destroyed lab, she'd even left the lab to go to the hospital to see for herself once again that they were all right. She had found Adam asleep in a chair in Lindsay's room and Lindsay still sedated from having her shoulder set. Now that their wounds had been treated she felt reassured that they would indeed be okay and she had left without waking either of them.

"Two different devices were used." Hawkes admitted as he handed her the report. "The first device was a small concussion explosive, similar to the force used in those cannons they use at concerts to shoot t-shirts into the stands. It was in the smaller box. The force was enough to send Lindsay flying across the room which explains why she was found so far from the bombs. It's probably the cause of her rib injuries but also why she's still alive. The second bomb was the incendiary that caused all the damage."

Jo looked from the report, to the lab, to Hawkes, and back again. Her eyes completed the triangle several times as she processed the information. "So opening the small box triggered the initial explosion and started the timer on the second. Thank God Lindsay decided to open the small box first."

Neither one wanted to speculate on the alternative. One of the qualities they loved and admired about Lindsay was that she wasn't afraid of hard work. It would have been just like her to tackle the larger job first. After a moment more of silence, Jo shook her head. "Mac seemed to think the target was the lab more than the people but obviously our perp didn't care if people were injured or killed in the process. If he was only after the lab, he would have delivered the boxes at night when it was more likely to be a skeleton crew present and the bombs wouldn't have required someone opening the boxes for detonation."

"Steve Grant wouldn't care about innocent people getting hurt." Hawkes commented almost with derision. Jo cocked an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to explain. The young doctor signed and turned from the lab; he'd seen enough. With a hand on Jo's back, he led her to the break room. "I was the ME on the original case. Some cases won't leave you alone. But the senselessness of the case got to me more than anything. It was one of the reasons I decided to leave the ME's office and become a CSI. To make sure people like Grant didn't get away with murder."

Jo poured them both a cup of coffee. When she first arrived she had learned all she could about her co-workers but she'd always wondered why Hawkes had changed fields. He didn't strike her as someone who simply tired of one field and needed a change so she figured there was a deeper motivation. "Tell me about the case."

"It appeared at first to be a case of burglary gone wrong. Teresa Grant and her four year old son were bludgeoned to death. I've seen some brutal murders in my career but this one seemed even more heinous and senseless. I documented at least fifty separate times Teresa had been hit but she was probably dead somewhere after the first twenty. She was about twelve weeks pregnant at the time. But Sam really got to me. Practically every bone in his body was broken but his innocent little face looked like he was just taking a nap before getting up to play. I saw his face every night in my dreams for weeks afterward." When he stopped to take a drink and collect himself, Jo reached over and squeezed his hand.

"You recall it so perfectly; it's like it happened last week instead of six years ago."

Hawkes looked straight at her and she could see the pain that was still there. "Like I said, some cases stick with you. Grant may have gotten away with it too but Stella wouldn't let the case go. She found the evidence that proved Grant was responsible. She tore through the every piece of evidence on a microscopic level. Somehow she was able to extract Grant's fingerprints from between two different layers of blood on Sam's pajamas."

"Proving that Grant was there at the time of the beatings." Jo finished for him. She hadn't had a chance to meet the woman whose job, never her place, she had filled, but she had heard enough stories from her co-workers to be sure that she would have liked Stella Bonasera.

Hawkes nodded. "At least this time he left more evidence linking him to the crime. Open and shut case."

"Not so shut anymore." Jo filled him in on Adam's ID of the suspect. "Flack is checking to see if Grant could have been working with someone. You remember the case so well, can you think of any friends who might be helping him?"

"From what I remember of the trial, any friends he had disassociated themselves when they realized what a psychopath he was. I was at the trial as much as I could be; like I said, Sam's face just kept haunting me. Nobody testified on his behalf. Course that was six years ago; things could have changed since then."

Jo stifled a yawn. Hawkes looked at her in sympathy. "When are you off?"

"With everything going on and Mac on Administrative leave? Probably not until he's been cleared or the case is solved, whichever happens first. Price you pay for being second in command, I guess. I'm going to go steal an hour or two nap in Mac's office here shortly. After I call and see if my daughter is talking to me yet."

Hawkes stood and rinsed his coffee cup. "What's wrong with Ellie?"

"She found out about the explosion from the news instead of from me. She called me in a panic thinking I'd been injured. Once she found out I was fine just too busy to call she went from relieved to hopping mad in two seconds flat. I think I even got the 'if I had done something like that, you would have grounded me for life, Mom.' What about you; shouldn't your shift be ending soon?"

"I'm heading out now. I'll probably pop in at the hospital and check on Lindsay and then swing by and do the same for Adam before going home. If you need me to pull some extra shifts since we'll be short-handed for awhile let me know."

Jo nodded. "Thanks but we're going to need more than just one or two people pulling double shifts. I'm going to put in a request for help with the other labs. Until we have repairs made here we might have to send out evidence to be processed anyway. But I appreciate your offer and I will take you up on it some. Now, get out of here. Give Lindsay and Adam my love and tell them I'll check on them later."

She waited until Hawkes had left before refilling her coffee cup and headed for Mac's office. Everyone in the lab knew his couch was the best for quick naps, probably because of the way Mac himself had worn it in with late nights at the lab.

She stopped short as she saw an unfamiliar woman with long reddish brown hair standing outside said office. Since the explosion, security had been tripled and only lab employees and the detectives who typically worked alongside the CSI's were suppose to be on the floor unaccompanied. Warily she walked toward the woman ready to evict her from the lab when she saw the IA badge. Great, just what she needed. She pasted on her biggest Southern charm smile and held out her hand in greeting. "You must be Detective Sawyers." She took a closer look at the badge. "Angela, I'm Jo Danville, pleased to meet you."

The IA officer shook the offered hand. "It just about took a warrant for that officer to let me on the floor. You wouldn't be trying to impede the investigation would you?"

Jo gestured around. "As you can see, we had a little problem here this morning. Everyone's being just a little more cautious than usual; nothing personal. What can I do for you? I hope you are here to tell me that IA has cleared Detective Taylor and Detective Messer for duty. Dr. Hawkes and I were just talking about how shorthanded we're going to be."

"I understand that the man they shot was not the man who blew up the lab."

Jo frowned. Apparently, Detective Sawyers wasn't interested in niceties. She led the detective into her own office, loathed to allow her into Mac's inner sanctum. "That hasn't been fully determined. He may not have delivered the weapon but he hasn't been fully cleared either."

Angela Sawyers sat in the chair opposite Jo's desk. "You haven't been with the lab long, have you?"

Jo tilted her head and crossed her arms before she answered. "You really don't want me to answer a question you already know the answer to. What's the real question you have for me, Angela? Do you think because I haven't been here but about seven months I'm just going to roll over and tell you all the labs dirty little secrets?"

Angela leaned forward. "What secrets?"

Jo looked from side to side as if to make sure no one else was in earshot. "You can't tell anyone that I told you this but here it is, Mac secretly switched our caffeinated coffee with decaf about two months ago after Adam worked a triple shift and was bouncing off the walls from a caffeine overdose. And Lindsay brings in these fantastic cookies about every other week that the lab goes nuts over. Everything thinks she bakes them but I have it on good authority that Danny is the actual baker in the family." She looked around again with a wry smile on her face and then put a finger on her lips. "But shh, no sense letting the cat out of the bag, right?"

"This is not a joking matter, Detective Danville."

Jo leaned back in her chair. "Call me Jo. I know it's not a joking matter but really that's about as dicey as the secrets get around here. Mac runs the lab with a tight fist, no room for mistakes. The integrity of this lab means as much to him as the people who work here. Investigate all you want but ultimately you'll have to come to that same conclusion."

"They went in wild to a potentially dangerous situation."

"Wild?" Jo shook her head. "Wild would have been going after Grant without calling it in first. Not only did Mac call in their location, but he requested back-up on the scene."

"Back-up he didn't wait on." Sawyers argued. "Instead, they decided to be mavericks and go in with guns blazing."

"Or…" Jo's Southern drawl made it seem like she was drawing out the end of a story instead of holding a regular conversation. "They were afraid Grant was going to get away. If he had looked out and seen a bunch of patrol cars pulling up, he could have bolted and run. Besides, what would have changed if they had waited? The back-up would have remained downstairs while Mac and Danny went upstairs. It wouldn't have prevented Grant from firing on them."

"Sure, Detective Flack and other officers were just around the corner but Detective Taylor and Detective Messer didn't know that. What if the delay had been longer? What if Grant had shot one or both men? Back-up might not have gotten to them in time and they might have both died."

The second-in-command couldn't believe her ears. "Wait a minute, are your telling me this whole investigation is based on several great big 'What if's' Since when does IA deal in what might have been instead of what was? It sounds to me like you aren't questioning the shooting at all so what about this what if. What if Grant hadn't fired on them at all and had come in for questioning quietly. You wouldn't have any part of this investigation at all."

Angela locked eyes with Jo, the IA detective's eyes steely and unwavering. "That's a what if that would have never happened. The CSI team that processed the apartment found a police scanner. He knew they were coming without seeing them. He was lying in wait for them. Whether he knew about the explosion or not, he knew Mac Taylor was coming for him again. The last time that happened, he was locked up in a metal hospital for five years. Guilty or not this time, that knowledge could be enough to push a mentally unstable man into firing at officers who go knocking on his door."

Jo's heart skipped a beat at that revelation. "So Mac and Danny's actions saved their lives. They are clear of the shooting. When will their Administrative Leave be lifted then?"

"It won't be yet. I was ready to rule the shooting as clean and reprimand them for acting recklessly on a case both were too personally involved to be working. Then I get the call that Adam Ross positively confirmed that Grant was not the person who delivered the bomb. Now I have to wonder how damning evidence appeared in his apartment. Until I have answers to those questions, I can't help but wonder if it was planted to make Grant look guilty." Angela Sawyers stood and turned to leave. At the doorway, she stopped and looked back at Jo who was still processing what the IA officer had said. "Detective Danville, I know your team is still investigating who is responsible for the explosion. If you want to help Detectives Taylor and Messer, make sure you keep me in in the loop of what you discover."

As soon as the woman was out of sight, Jo picked up her phone and dialed Flack's number. She instantly noticed his voice sounded more terse than usual when he answered. "Flack, it's Jo. We have a problem." She filled in him on the conversation she just had with the IA detective. Flack swore.

"_We got an even bigger problem at the hospital."_

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Mac Taylor knocked on Lindsay's door and entered. Hawkes was sitting near the bed eating a slice of pizza from a box on Lindsay's tray table. He was laughing at Lindsay's attempt to eat the heavily loaded slice one-handed. Danny was not in the room. Lindsay put her slice down and smiled at her boss who came over to give her a sideways hug and a kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"I'd be doing better if it wasn't so hard to eat that stupid slice of pizza one handed. Who would have thought you did so much with your left hand. Every time I pick it up, my toppings try to slide off."

Looking at the night stand where her uneaten discarded hospital try was sitting, Mac reached over and grabbed the knife and fork off of it. He made short work of cutting up the pizza slice much the way he would have if Lucy had been there and then handed Lindsay the fork. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone I saw you eating pizza with a fork."

Lindsay sent a glare over to Hawkes. "Why couldn't you have done that?"

"Hey, I brought you the pizza, didn't I? I was waiting to see how long it took you to admit defeat and ask for help. Want a slice, Mac?"

Mac shook his head. "No, thank you. I came down earlier but there was a sign on the door requesting no visitors. Your nurse explained that Danny wanted some time alone with you so I took a walk. Where is Danny by the way?"

"He took a slice of pizza to Martha at the nurses' desk and then went down to the cafeteria to find me something better than the Sierra Mist they have on the floor. I need caffeine to counteract the drowsiness of the pain meds. He should have been back by now. He's been gone awhile."

Mac laughed, "I've gotten turned around a couple of times in this play today myself. He probably got lost. If he's not back in ten minutes, we'll send out a search party. This place is too big for us to try using Marco Polo."

Lindsay looked confused. "How did you know about that?"

"How do you think we found you in the lab?"

Lindsay blushed; her memory of all of that was completely fuzzy. She looked at him intently. "Hawkes filled us in on the latest development with Grant. Do you think that will hurt your case with IA?"

Mac shook his head. "Don't worry about the IA investigation. Worry about getting well. IA is going to realize we didn't do anything wrong but even if they persist, I'm going to make sure they realize Danny was acting under orders."

"You don't have to protect me Mac. I went of my own accord; if there are repercussion, I'll face them." Danny admitted quietly as he came into room. He opened the Diet Coke and set it on the tray next to the pizza box. He looked at Lindsay who was now contentedly eating her cut pizza with a fork. "Come on Babe? Pizza with a fork? Really?"

Lindsay stuck her tongue out at him and then ate the last bite of pizza Mac had cut up for her. "Shut up. I'm hungry and it wasn't working one handed. I seem to remember you having trouble eating pizza when your hand was broken."

"Yeah but you didn't see me using a fork, did you?" Danny grinned. He took the fork away from her. He seemed in better spirits since they had had a little time together and she was apparently doing better.

She rolled her eyes. "That's because I hand fed you. Mac, make him give me my fork back."

Mac couldn't help but laugh at their exchange. Not that it was just that incredibly funny but because he was relieved that they were able to do so. Not given Mac a chance to intervene, Danny picked up a new slice and held it to her mouth allowing her to take a big bite.

"Happy?"

Lindsay chewed and then swallowed before responding. "As long as you keep 'em coming."

For the next twenty minutes, the five friends sat in companionable silence eating pizza. Even Mac finally consented to having a slice. When the pizza was polished off, Hawkes stood. "Hate to leave the party but I want to drop by and check on Adam as well." He leaned over and gave Lindsay a gentle hug and kiss. "Take it easy and don't let that one give you a hard time."

"I won't. Thanks for coming by."

Before Hawkes could leave, the door opened and two people that Lindsay didn't recognize came in. She saw both Mac and Danny stiffen at the intrusion however. Danny leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Just before Mac stepped between the bed and the visitors she caught a glimpse of their IA badges.

Mac frowned. "The Messers have had a long day and need the rest. Dr. Hawkes and I were just leaving to allow them to do that. Whatever it is can wait until morning."

Detective Sawyers shook her head. "I'm afraid it can't. Have either you or Detective Messer been out of this room this evening?"

"Why?" Mac shifted his gaze between the two IA officers trying to figure out what had happened. "What does that have to do with the investigation?"

"Please answer the question, Detective Taylor." Detective Sawyer's tone left no room for argument.

"I've been at the hospital since about twenty minutes after our interview ended. I've been in this room for about thirty minutes."

"There's a couple of hours unaccounted for then. Can someone verify your whereabouts during that time?"

Mac shrugged still not sure where this was going. "I don't know; I'm sure people saw me but I didn't talk to anyone other than Jo Danville on the phone about two hours ago. What does this have to do with the investigation."

Ignoring his question, Detective Sawyers looked at Danny. "And you Detective Messer?"

"I've been here except for about thirty minutes when I went to get Lindsay a drink. I got a little turned around and it took me a little while to find my way back."

"When was this?"

"I got back I guess not long after Mac came in, right, Babe?"

Lindsay nodded. She gripped Danny's hand tightly in her own, scared even though she couldn't pinpoint why. "Detectives, I get that you have a job to do but what's with all the questions? Has something happened?"

"Steve Grant died a little less than an hour ago."

Mac sighed. "The doctors did warn that it would still be touch and go with him for the next twenty four hours. They were surprised he made it through surgery."

"He didn't die from his injuries. The guard outside his door reports that a detective wearing a CSI badge entered Grant's room about an hour ago, stayed a couple of minutes and then left. Moments later alarms went off and doctors rushed in but were unable to resuscitate Grant. His ventilator plug had been pulled. Steve Grant was murdered during the time neither of you can account for."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. During the week it might take a couple of days before I get a chapter ready but I will keep working on it. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 9

For a moment nobody in the hospital room said a word. Sawyers announcement had shocked them all. Sheldon shook his head in utter disbelief. "Wait a minute, have I entered an episode of the Twilight Zone or something? Are you honestly standing there suggesting either Mac or Danny was responsible for Grant's murder? Do you even realize how ludicrous that sounds?"

"What would either of us gain by killing him?" Mac questioned her. "You are already after our heads on a platter for the shooting. The best outcome for us was for Grant to survive and for him to be linked irrefutably to the bombing of the lab."

Jamison spoke for the first time. "And yet we have an eyewitness who puts a CSI in Grant's room at the time of his murder. Can you give us a more logical suspect?"

"We're not here to argue motive, Detective Taylor." Detective Sawyers replied coolly. "We have means and opportunity and that's enough for us to bring you in for questioning. I suggest that you both come with us voluntarily. A formal arrest would not bode well for either of your careers whether you are innocent or not."

Lindsay clung even tighter to Danny's hand afraid to let him go. She was confident beyond any measurement that neither Danny nor Mac were capable of what Sawyers was suggesting. Silent tears ran down her cheeks. "Surely there's an easier way to end this. Get the officer who was guarding Grant up here. He'll take one look and tell you that neither of them was the man he saw enter the room. Wouldn't that be the easiest solution?"

Sawyers shook her head. She felt a pang of regret that she was causing the added stress on top of everything else the wounded detective was going through but she had a job to do. "I've already had the officer escorted to the precinct. Once there he'll look through a photo line-up of all CSI employees to identify the man he saw. I don't want anything influencing his identification. Gentlemen, will you come with us?"

Danny reluctantly extracted his hand from Lindsay's but she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. He twisted on the bed to cup her face in his hands. Gently he brushed away her tears and stared into her eyes. "You know I don't want to go but if I don't…"

She nodded. "I know. This is just so unfair."

"They ain't gonna have anything on me and I'll be back as soon as I can. I can take their worst as long as I'm sure you are okay. Promise me?"

Lindsay nodded but didn't trust herself to speak. Danny pulled her to him and held her tightly for several minutes, hating that all of this was hurting her worse than any of her injuries. A warning Martha had given him when he took her the slice of pizza was racing around his mind and the last thing he wanted to do was leave him alone. He kissed the top of her head and then glanced over at Hawkes. "You'll make sure she's okay?"

Hawkes nodded. He still couldn't believe all the ups and downs this one day had had. "I'll stay as long as she needs me. Don't worry about her."

Danny bent down so he could talk softly directly in Lindsay's ear. "I gotta do this Babe. Not because I want to but because the quicker I go with them, the quicker we can get this mess all straightened out and I can get back here. Please don't worry about me. Don't let this upset you. They can't hurt me cause I didn't do anything wrong. I love you so much."

At long last Lindsay pulled back from him and nodded. Her eyes were still full of unshed tears as she gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "I love you too."

He returned her kiss with one of his own and then stood. He wanted nothing more than to punch something but he had to be strong to keep Lindsay from worrying. Without another word he left the room before he lost his resolve. Jamison followed after him. Mac stepped over and gave Lindsay's uninjured shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'll do everything I can to take care of him. We'll make this okay. I promise you."

He shook hands with Hawkes and then left the room with Sawyers. Once he was alone in the room with Lindsay, Hawkes went to her side. He could see how visibly upset she was but was clueless as to how to help her. He worried she was going to cause herself more pain. Easing down on the bed next to her, he wrapped his arms around her and allowed her to cry softly. He didn't speak; he felt any words he could offer would seem empty and inadequate.

After several minutes Lindsay pulled back. Hawkes grabbed several tissues from the nightstand to offer her. She wiped at her eyes and nose. He watched her a moment. "What can I do for you?"

"Go check on Adam like you planned." Her words were soft but firm.

Sheldon shook his head. "I told Danny…"

"That you would stay as long as I need you." Lindsay interrupted and finished for him. "Please, I'm okay. I'd rather you check on Adam. He could probably use a friend tonight as well. I'm drained and I'm hurting. It's probably better if I just lie back and go to sleep. Hopefully that way it won't seem that long before Danny gets back. Please do this for me."

"If you are sure. You want me to let your nurse know you want something for pain?"

Lindsay shook her head. "It's time for shift change so Martha will be giving her report. I'll wait until they finish with that and when my night nurse comes in I'll ask her for something."

After a little more reassurance from Lindsay, Hawkes finally left out. She counted to ten to make sure he wouldn't come back for some reason, then threw the covers off. She eased out of bed, almost crying out in pain as the movement jarred her injuries. She walked across the room and opened the closet hoping to find her clothes but the closet was empty. It was then she realized that the clothes she'd been wearing that morning had probably been cut away to treat her injuries. She sat back down on the bed as the hard wracking sobs overcame her. The sobs caused her ribs to explode in pain but she couldn't stop herself. The pain only made the sobs worse. She could recognize the growing hysteria in her but could do nothing to stem the flow.

Her door open and Martha stuck her head in. "I just wanted to say…Lands sakes, child." She crossed the room in a hurry, snatching Lindsay's pillow off the bed as she passed. She helped the distraught woman press the pillow against her ribs to brace against the pain. Seeing Lindsay was so upset she was having trouble catching her breath, Martha hit the nurse call button.

"_Can I help you?"_

"Sadie, ask Karen to prepare a Valium/Dilaudid injection for Mrs. Messer." She sat next to Lindsay and rubbed her back. She knew part of the emotional overload could be contributed to the concussion and the traumatic experience. In fact, she had warned Danny not to be surprised if Lindsay experienced a mini breakdown sometime this evening. The obvious absence of the handsome young man surprised and confused her. Until she got her patient calmed down, however; she would be unable to piece together what had happened.

Karen, the night nurse, came in and quickly administered the injection. Seeing that Martha was handling the situation and knowing the older nurse had already established a rapport with the Lindsay, she left just as quickly.

After what seemed like the longest time, Lindsay's heart-wrenching sobs quieted to tears and sniffles. She leaned wearily against Martha, hiccupping slightly. Martha pulled a package of tissues from her pocket and pulled out a few so the younger woman could wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

"Let's start with the easy questions. Want to tell me what you were doing out of bed?" She asked softly.

"Looking for my clothes but I don't have any. I can't leave here in this gown; it's too drafty." She looked down at the sling. Her hospital gown's sleeves snapped completely down to accommodate IV lines and slings but she could foresee problems with ordinary clothes. "But even if I had clothes, how would I put them on over this sling?"

Martha considered her question. "You know what, my daughter went through a phase where she wore these shirts that tied at the shoulder. They're still at the house. I could bring several in tomorrow for you. You're about the size she was then and she won't miss them. They would be easy enough to slip under the sling and tie at the top. So, that's a problem you don't have to worry about anymore."

"Thanks; that's sweet of you, but it won't help me tonight."

"Tonight?" Martha shook her head. "You don't need anything tonight but that bed."

Lindsay pulled away from the kind nurse and tried to stand. The combination of sedative and painkiller had already started working and she swayed. Martha stood with her and led her to the head of the bed before helping her lie down. She covered her with the blanket. Lindsay protested but was unable to stop her.

"Gotta go to the station. They think Danny killed the man. Need to be with him." Her eyes were already half-closed."

"You need to take it easy and follow doctor's orders. That will help Danny more than anything." She was shocked by Lindsay's announcement. She'd only met the couple today but she couldn't picture the nice young man being capable of murder. However it explained his absence; she couldn't believe he would willingly leave her side. It wasn't long before the young woman was sound asleep. Martha stilled waited several minutes to make sure she was completely out before leaving.

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Sheldon Hawkes knocked on Adam's door. He felt bad that he had left Lindsay after promising Danny but she had been pretty insistent that he leave. He hoped she was able to get to sleep quickly. He heard the chain slide back and then Adam opened the door.

Hawkes held up a bag from the diner down the street. "I took pizza to Lindsay and Danny and figured you might like your favorite burger."

Adam's face lit up. "Thanks. Come on in. Flack stopped and got us both a slice of pizza when he brought me home but that was hours ago. I was just about to try to figure out something to eat when you knocked."

He offered Hawkes a seat and asked if he wanted something to drink. Bringing them both back a soda, he sat on the couch opposite Hawkes and tore into his burger. He glanced at Sheldon.

"So how was Lindsay? I imagine since Danny was able to get there she was feeling better emotionally but she had me worried when Flack told us about the investigation. She was even talking about checking out of the hospital to go to the station. I was a little afraid she might even sneak out once we left. Crazy huh?"

Sheldon's heart skipped a beat at Adam's admission. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts until he got the number of the information desk of Mercy Hospital. Once someone answered he asked for the fifth floor west nurse's desk. Once someone answered he identified himself. "This might seem like a crazy question but could someone just check and make sure Lindsay Messer is in her room."

He was put on hold for a few seconds and he could feel every beat of his heart until someone picked up the phone. _"Hello, they said you were checking on Lindsay Messer? I'm Martha, her day nurse. I just came from her room."_

"So she is still there?" Hawkes was more than a little relieved.

"_Not for the lack of trying. Don't worry; she's okay now and she's not going anywhere. She's sound asleep thanks to a little help from drugs. Just make sure that husband of hers gets back here quickly. Neither one of them needs all this stress."_

Hawkes smiled. He had picked up from both Danny and Lindsay earlier that her nurse was a sweet woman. "I'll do what I can. Let me give you my number; if there's any trouble tonight, can you have the night nurse call me? I can be there in ten minutes if I'm needed." He gave her the number and she promised to pass it on. Once he hung up the phone, he realized Adam had finished eating and was staring at him in confusion.

"Why isn't Danny there? What's going on?"

Hawkes filled the injured tech in on what had happened at the hospital. Adam ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Who could be doing this to us? First someone tries to blow us up and now they are framing our people for murder. Who hates us that much? Okay, okay, I know, everyone we put away but most of them are in jail so that kind of lets them off the hook. So who hates us that much and has the capabilities to do this to us?"

Hawkes waited to see if Adam was finished with his rant or simply taking a much needed breath. He'd been wondering the same thing since he left the hospital. "I don't know. This case just keeps getting more and more difficult. Somebody is going to a lot of trouble; that's for sure. But hey, don't worry cause we will figure out who is doing this and we will stop him. You just worry about taking it easy with that concussion."

Adam shifted nervously. "Yeah, right, of course. After all, Mac threatened to have me forcibly removed from the lab so its not like I'm doing any work on the case."

Hawkes saw him cut his eyes over to the computer and followed his line of sight. He was surprised to see a half-formed computer sketch of a man's head. All that had been completed was a short crew cut and a red bird on the right side of the neck. He pointed to the computer. "Is that a facial reconstruction software program?"

Adam nodded, annoyed that he'd given himself away. "It's my own program. Not as good as the ones we have at the lab but it'll do some pretty good things. I saw this guy; maybe I'm the only one who saw him and can identify him. I thought that maybe if I could reconstruct his face we could put a name to the face. I've got the features that stood out to me easily enough but I'm having trouble with the actual face. I can see it but I just can't pin it down in the program. But I will get it if I have to stay up all night."

"Adam, man, this is really amazing and I have no doubt you are going to get it perfect but don't torture yourself with it. Take something for that headache you have now that you have a full stomach. Get some real rest, not just a chair nap. Come back to it in the morning when you are fresh."

Adam looked at him quizzically. "You've obviously never seen my chair naps if you don't think that's real rest. Wait, how did you know I had a headache?"

"I'm a doctor, remember? A concussion is a big clue and your right eyebrow arches when you have a headache. I've noticed it before. Please Adam, take care of yourself. No one wants you to run yourself ragged trying to solve this."

Adam slumped. "Okay, okay. I get that I'm defeated here. I'll take one of the pretty white pills the doctor gave me and I'll crash in a real bed for a few hours." He held up his hand with two fingers raised. "Scouts honor."

Hawkes stood to go and gave his friend a brotherly hug. "I'm really glad you are okay. We couldn't get along without you."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

As soon as Sawyers and Jamison arrived at the precinct with Mac and Danny, they placed the two detectives in separate interrogation rooms and entered a third one where the officer who had been guarding Grant was waiting for them. He'd been given a folder that had photographs of every nab who worked in the crime lab. He looked up from them as the door opened.

Sawyers sat opposite him. She indicated the folder on the table. "Officer Grayson, were any of those men anywhere near Grants room today?"

He nodded. He pulled out the picture of Adam Ross. "This one came by with Detective Flack not long after Grant was put in ICU. He never went in though and left when Detective Flack left." Next he pulled out the picture of Mac Taylor. "He came up while Flack and the other one was there. When the others left, he got out his cell phone and went down to the waiting room to talk. I never saw him after that."

Jamison sighed impatiently. "What about the person you saw enter the room just before Grant's life support was pulled? Is his picture there?"

Nervously, Grayson went back to the photographs. He sorted through them one more time and then pulled out one more. With a heavy sigh he threw it on the table "That's him. That's the one who went in."

Sawyers and Jamison exchanged a glance and then looked down at the photograph. Danny Messer's face was smiling up at them.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter; for some reason I wasn't as confident about it. This chapter is a little on the short side. I considered adding another scene but when I got there it just seemed like the right place to end for now. Longer chapter next time, I promise.

Disclaimer: Wish they could be mine but unfortunately CBS owns them.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 10

Detective Sawyer's looked at Grayson carefully. "You are positive that this man was the one you saw enter Grant's room? Please take another look; it's very important that we have no doubts about the identification."

Grayson barely glanced at the picture. "I said it was him didn't I? Isn't my word good enough?"

Sawyers smiled. "Of course it is. We just had to be sure. Thank you for coming in; if you don't mind we'd like for you to stay here while we question Detective Messer. Just in case we have further questions."

He frowned. "Is that really necessary? I was suppose to be off shift an hour ago. I have plans tonight that I can't get out of. I've already told you everything I could. But I'm back on at 8 in the morning if you did have any more questions. Please, it's my girlfriend's birthday; if I cancel tonight she might be my ex-girlfriend."

Jamison pulled Sawyers aside and asked her quietly. "Do we really need him?"

Sawyers surreptitiously glanced at the rookie officer. "Something doesn't feel right; I can't put my finger on it but I know its there. I'm already keeping one man away from his injured wife; do you really think I'm going to feel bad about ruining birthday plans?"

The male IA officer wasn't sure he agreed with everything Sawyers was doing. "But Grayson isn't a suspect. We can't really hold him can we?"

Sawyers made a low sound that sounded suspiciously like a growl. She turned to Grayson and pasted a smile on her face. "That's fine, Officer Grayson. You can leave but I want you to report to me here at the station as soon as you arrive in the morning."

He smiled in relief. "Thank you, Mam. I'll be here." He left quickly before she could change her mind.

Sawyers sat back down at the table and put the pictures back in the folder. Jamison watched her for a few minutes in silence realizing she was in deep thought. He waited until she looked up at him before he asked a question.

"What about Detective Taylor?"

"What about him?"

"Can't we let him go since Grayson didn't identify him?"

Sawyers slowly shook her head. "Not just yet." She gave him a hard look. "Don't look at me like that Jamison; I have solid reasons on this one. Detective Taylor can be a loose cannon where his lab or his people are concerned. Administrative Leave or not, he's not going to sit on the sidelines when one of his men has been accused of murder. If we release him now, he's going to do one of two things. Either he's going to leave and track down Grayson to question him about his identification or he's going to want to sit in when we question Detective Messer. I don't want him doing either. I'd rather he stay put awhile so I know where he is without him being in my way."

Jamison crossed his arms. "Or just maybe he'd go back to the hospital to keep Detective Monroe-Messer company. We could all tell how upset she was that we were taking her husband in on suspicion of murder."

"I feel bad for her; I really do. She doesn't deserve everything that has happened today but she had someone with her when we left. I can't risk this investigation on the hope that he'll go there instead. Trust me on this. I'm going to question Detective Messer. Wait one hour and then you can release Detective Taylor."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Danny paced back and forth in the interrogation room. Had it only been hours earlier that he'd been in this same position? As he had told Lindsay earlier, he could understand the investigation of the shooting. But murder? Just the thought that they could believe he was capable of cold blooded murder would have made him laugh if the situation wasn't so serious.

He hoped Lindsay was okay. Martha had warned him that between the concussion and the general trauma of the day not to be surprised if she got overly emotional. Surely seeing her husband taken in for questioning on a murder charge would upset her more. He felt only slightly better that Sheldon was there to keep an eye on her. He had wanted to explain to Hawkes exactly what he was worried about but hadn't wanted to concern Lindsay if it wasn't necessary. He could only trust that as a doctor, Sheldon would know what to watch for.

He glanced at his watch. It was almost 8:00. If the events of the day hadn't happened, then he and Lindsay would be back at the apartment putting Lucy down for the night. The little girl had just recently graduated from a crib to a little toddler princess bed that had taken him forever to figure out how to put it together. Since then, she liked for both parents to lie down with her for a few minutes and read to her before she dropped off to sleep. There had been a couple of nights he had actually fallen asleep crammed beside her in the little bed before she did. Lindsay had woken him up and rescued him from the cramped sleeping arrangement just after Lucy had fallen asleep but he was pretty sure she had taken a picture first. He'd give anything to be curled up in that little pink bed with his two favorite girls right then.

The door opened and Detective Sawyers came in. Danny wondered if that meant that Jamison was questioning Mac or if he was on the other side of the two-way mirror. Sawyers sat down with her back to the mirror and motioned for him to sit as well. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Detective Messer."

"As long as you are coming in here to apologize for the terrible mistake you've made and that I can leave, it's okay. I know you have a job to do."

"Yes, I do have a job to do and it just seems to be getting more and more complicated as the day wears on. You said at the hospital that you left your wife's room for about half an hour. What made you leave out?"

"Sheldon had brought us a pizza cause he figured that Linds would like that better than the hospital food. She wanted something drink with it but all they had on the floor was Sierra Mist. She's not a fan of clear soda so I told her I'd run down to the cafeteria and get her a Diet Coke."

"That shouldn't have taken you thirty minutes." Sawyers observed.

Danny shrugged. It hurt his manly pride to admit that he'd gotten turned around in the hospital. "Have you seen that place? I should have left bread crumbs. I went in one door in the cafeteria and had to go out another. The elevators were right there and I thought it was the right ones. Turns out it wasn't. I ended up on the right floor wrong wing. I couldn't just walk to the right side cause it was blocked by surgery. They kind of frown on thru-traffic through the operating room. So I had to go all the way back down and find the right elevators."

"So you claim that you never went to Steve Grant's room?" Sawyers watched his expression neutrally.

Danny shook his head. "I couldn't even tell you what room he was in. I would presume ICU but I didn't really care to ask. After I left here the only thing I cared about was getting to my wife."

"It had to upset you that the man you believed was responsible for your wife's injuries was at the same hospital. Maybe you even wanted to hurt him. Wanted to make him pay for hurting the woman you love."

"Wanted? There's no crime in wanting to do something. A couple of weeks ago I took my little girl to the park. I was sitting on one of those benches watching her play in the sandbox when this little boy who was older and bigger than her came up and just pushed her down for no reason. What I wanted to do was run over there and push him down. Show him what it feels like to be pushed around by someone bigger than you. Then I wanted to go over to his father who was laughing about the whole thing and introduce my fist to his face and suggest that he man up and teach his son to be a decent human being instead of a bully. That's what I wanted to do but what I did was run over and scoop my crying little girl up in my arms, brush the sand off her clothes and then take her to get her favorite flavor of ice cream. So don't talk to me about wanting to do something; it's what you do that matters."

"So you admit that you did want to hurt Grant?" Sawyers persisted.

Danny sighed and ran his hands through his short hair. "I didn't say that. I can't lie; a big part of me wants to make the person who decided to blow up the lab my wife was in feel as much pain if not more as she felt. If Grant was that guy I can't say I'm sorry he's dead but- and here's the really big but- we don't know for sure yet if Grant was responsible for any of this. That doesn't mean I would give in to that want when we for sure have the guy in custody and I didn't have anything to do with Grant's death. I never went to his floor let alone his room. Weren't you getting the officer here to pick out the person he saw from a photo line up? How long does it take him to look at pictures and tell you that he didn't recognize anyone?"

"Actually, he did recognize the person who murdered Grant."

Danny nodded and stood. "Great, that means I can go now, right?"

"Sit down, Detective Messer. The picture he identified was yours."

Danny sat down heavily, stunned. "You gotta be kiddin' me? Then he's mistaken or lying. One or the other."

Leaning forward, Detective Sawyer put her hands on the table. "Why would he lie? What would he have to gain by falsely identifying you?"

Danny never took his eyes off of her. "I don't know. I just know that I didn't kill Grant and if he's saying I did he's either wrong or lying. I'm willing to admit that maybe I shouldn't have gone to Grant's apartment today. You're thinking' I went cause I wanted to hurt him but you are wrong. See, I'm an action kinda guy. I can't sit on the sidelines waitin' for someone else to do the work if I'm capable of doin' it myself. Most of the time that's not a bad thing. I wouldn't be walkin' today otherwise. I shoulda let someone else take this one 'cause Mac's right. He's always told us that when we are too personally involved it puts a big question mark over the whole lab. After seeing my wife lying there after nearly getting blown up I was as personally involved as they come. But that's all I'm guilty of. We shot Grant cause he didn't give us a choice and I never went near his room. No matter what that officer said. I don't know how I can convince you that I'm not guilty but I promise you I had nothing to do with his death." He buried his head in his hands emotionally spent.

Sawyers leaned back in her seat and her next words made Danny sit up and stare at her in disbelief. "I believe you."


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: I was trying to have this chapter ready by Friday night but it just wasn't coming together right. So hopefully this will be okay; there's a little jumping around because the pieces are about to start to falling into place.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 11

"You believe me?" Danny did a double take. Those weren't words you usually heard someone from Internal Affairs say out loud even if it was true.

Sawyers shrugged. "You're either a helluva liar or you're telling the truth. Since you aren't exhibiting any of the normal tells of a liar, I'm leaning towards the latter. Besides, you seem a little more sincere than Grayson did. The only thing I can't figure out is why Grayson would lie. Have you had any run-ins with him? Any idea why he would identify you as the person he saw go into Grant's room?"

Danny wracked his brain trying to think if he even knew the officer. 'I don't know the name. A whole new crop of rookies started about a month ago so I might not have even worked with him. So no, I don't know why he would point me out. It's starting to feel like the whole world is out to get me today. Does this mean I can go?"

Sawyers looked truly sad. "I'm sorry, Detective Messer. What I believe and what I can prove are two different things. Grayson won't be back until the morning for me to straighten things out. Until then, I officially have to take his identification seriously."

"You sure the calendar doesn't say 'Make Danny Messer Miserable Day'?" His phone rang and he glanced down, half afraid of who would be calling and what more could have gone wrong. It was his mother. He glanced at Detective Sawyers. "Can I? It's my ma and she's taking care of my daughter." At the detective's nod, he flipped open his phone. "Hey Ma, anything wrong?"

"_No, I just have a very sleepy little girl who doesn't want to go to bed without saying goodnight to her parents."_

"Can't have that, can we? Put her own." He could hear his mom call the little girl to the phone to talk to Daddy and then his daughter's most adorable voice filled his ears.

"_Daddy? Where you and Mama?"_

"Mama had a little accident at work today, Luce, and the doctors want to watch her tonight. We'll see you tomorrow though. You being a good girl for your grandparents?" She didn't answer but he could just picture her blonde head nodding up and down. She sometimes forgot that the person on the other line couldn't see her.

"_Mama got bobos? She got bobo bamages? And kissies make bedder?"_

He had to laugh. Hearing her voice right then was definitely a band-aid to his wounded spirit for the moment. "Yeah, Mama has a couple of bobos and she's got special bobo bandages and I've kissed them all better. She's sleeping right now or she'd tell you goodnight as well. We both love you, Lucy and we'll see you tomorrow. Be a good girl and go to sleep."

"_You tell me story?"_ He could hear how sleepy she was and knew the tears would start soon - hers particularly but he knew if she did, he wouldn't be far behind. A knife dug into his heart. Any other time he would have told her a story over the phone knowing his mom would take the phone away when she fell asleep. But he couldn't do it in front of Sawyers. He sighed.

"I can't right now, Sweetheart, but Nonna will. She's got great stories that you've never even heard before. You go get in bed and let me talk to her a minute and I tell her to tell you deserve the best story ever, okay? I love you, Luce."

"_Luv 'u too_." Then his mom was back on the phone. _"Daniel, Donnie called and told me about the trouble you're in."_

Danny closed his eyes. The hits just kept coming, he thought. "I'll remember to thank him later. Don't worry about it, Ma. Everything will work out. So was my daughter saying goodnight just an excuse to check up on me?"

"_I don't need to use my granddaughter for that. I just figured that hearing her voice right now might do you some good. Remind you what you had to lose if you don't keep your cool. I'll take her to preschool tomorrow. Need me to do anything else? Bake a cake, maybe?"_

He laughed for the second time in spite of himself. His mother knew him well. "Nah, no need for that yet. Could you maybe swing by the apartment and pick up some clothes for Lindsay? She'll be released tomorrow and they made a mess of the ones she was wearing." His mom promised and then they both said goodbye. He closed his phone and saw that Sawyers was staring at him. Had she heard the quip about the cake and took it wrong? He rubbed at his eyes tiredly, waiting for another shoe to drop.

"Maybe I was wrong about you, Detective Messer. You must be a helluva liar if you can convincingly call your wife's injuries 'a couple of bobos' so you don't frighten your little girl. How old is she?"

"Two." What was she saying? She no longer believed him because he didn't want to scare Lucy with the knowledge of how close she came to losing her mommy?

"The terrific, terrible twos. I can tell how much you love both your wife and little girl. The only flight risk you pose is possibly breaking a land speed record trying to get back to them." She bit back a smile knowing she had him totally confused. "Get out of here."

Danny sat back, stunned for the umpteenth time this evening. "Seriously? But what about your proof?"

"You came in voluntarily. While I should hold you until I get to the bottom of this whole matter; I don't see where it will do any good. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find you if I need you again."

Danny's whole face broke out in a grin. "Thanks, Detective Sawyers. You know, you're not so bad for IA."

Now she did let her smile show. "No sense ruining someone's reputation, now is it? As far as anyone else is concerned, I raked you over the coals and threatened at least a dozen times to take your badge - which I may still do before this is all over, don't forget."

He held up his hand as if making a pledge. "Worst experience of my life." He jumped up and raced to the door, half afraid she was going to change her mind. Sure enough her voice called his name as his hand turned the doorknob. He shoulders slumped.

"Let's try to stay out of the investigation, please, before something else happens."

Danny shook his head. "That's what I was trying to do after I left here the first time. You were the ones who drug me back here."

He was fairly sure he heard her chuckle as he left the room. He was only half surprised to see Mac leaning against the wall. Danny lifted an eyebrow. "They let you go too?"

Mac nodded. "Jamison said Officer Grayson identified you as the man he saw go into the room and that cleared me on suspicion of murder. I was torn between heading to the hospital, staying here with you, or tracking down Grayson to question him myself. I finally decided you might need me more here. I would have come in to watch the interview but Jamison wouldn't let me. Danny, I know you didn't murder him but did you go up there to threaten or question Grant? Is that why Grayson said it was you?"

It stung Danny a little to hear Mac ask that question even if it had followed an absolute declaration of belief in his innocence. He guess he would never totally escape some of his past mistakes. "I swear, Mac. I never stepped foot near that room. It took some doing but I convinced Detective Sawyers to let me go for the night. I'm heading back to the hospital to check on my wife. You going home?"

Mac shrugged still at a loss to explain the identification. "I seem to be creating a habit of leaving vehicles behind because of IA. My truck is still at the hospital. How about we share a cab there?"

Once the two men were in the cab, Mac looked at Danny still intent on figuring out what was going on. "I thought with the explosion that someone was targeting the lab but now with you implicated in the murder of Steve Grant, it looks like you might be the actual target. Can you think of anyone with a big enough beef against you to set all this up to get you in trouble?"

Danny had promised not to get involved in the investigation but considered Mac's question seriously. They would have to look into his grudge list eventually and it wouldn't hurt anything for him to mentally sort through the list. Every officer had a grudge list of people who could possibly want to harm them. "Mine's pretty short these days. Shane Casey would have been on the top but fortunately Lindsay made sure that he wasn't going to be able to pull another fast one and come back to haunt us. This is all too convoluted to be the work of Tanglewood. I can't think of anyone else that I've made mad enough to nearly kill my wife and then set me up for murder."

Mac took him at his word. "In the morning I'll ask Flack to run a check on anyone you might have put away that might have the ability to pull this off. I'll also have him look into this Grayson fellow to see what kind of beef he might have had with you."

Danny cocked an eyebrow at him. "You do remember you are on Administrative Leave don't you? Maybe you should ask Jo to put in that request. But yeah, that's a good idea cause I'm coming up blank."

The cab was pulled up in front of the hospital and the two men got out. Mac paid the cabbie and then turned to Danny. "While I'm at it, do you want me to get Jo to request a guard outside Lindsay's room tonight? Just for a precaution."

"No thanks. A guard outside the door didn't help protect Grant and it got me in a load of trouble. I'll take my chances with protecting Linds and myself on my own."

Mac smiled. "Fair enough. I'll call you in the morning to check on the two of you. Since I don't have to be at work, I'll be free to come back and pick the two of you up when she's released if you want me to. Try to get some rest."

Danny thanked him and entered the hospital. Not wanting a repeat of getting lost, he paid special attention to the elevators he got into and reached Lindsay's room without incident. She was lying in the bed sound asleep. He could tell by her swollen, puffy eyes that she had been crying sometime before she fell asleep. He only hoped Hawkes had still been there to help her through it. He took his shoes off and slipped into the bed next to her. He gathered her as close to him as he could trying not to disturb or hurt her. However, just like earlier when he climbed into bed with his sleeping wife, she seemed instantly aware of his presence. Her eyes blinked and half opened.

"Danny, that you?"

He had to chuckle, glad to be back with her. He kissed the top of her head. "I better be the only one slipping into bed with you. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty loopy. I think they drugged me again. I don't like drugs; they make me feel funny."

"As long as it makes the pain bearable that's okay. Go on back to sleep and by morning I bet those nasty ole drugs won't make you feel so loopy."

"Don't wanna go back to sleep. Keep having bad dreams. I'm back at the lab and can't get out. You come to find me but you keep getting arrested before you do. I just want this day to be over."

Danny glanced at his watch. "Only a couple more hours to go. It's okay to go back to sleep; I'll be here to protect you from them. Want me to tell you a story like we do Lucy?"

Lindsay nodded, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. "Tell me what happened at the station."

Unable to deny her request, Danny started to tell her about the interview. Before he could even get to the phone call from his mom, Lindsay was once more sound asleep. With another smile and kiss to her head, Danny closed his eyes and allowed his own exhaustion to take over and draw him to sleep.

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Adam had done exactly what he had promised Hawkes he would do. He'd taken one of his pain pills and gone to bed. He'd even slept for a couple of hours before he woke up with the man's face haunting his dreams. Unable to go back to sleep, Adam left his bedroom, grabbed a soda from the fridge and sat down at the computer. He pulled up his facial reconstruction program and studied what he had thus far put in. Eyes narrowed, he set to work adding the details that had plagued his sleep. The sun was just coming up when he clicked the last button adding the slight dent in the middle of his chin. Adam sat back and studied the face staring at him. He smiled and hit the print button. Once the paper spit out he picked it up and stared back at the face that had haunted his earlier dreams.

"Hello, Officer Mad Bomber."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

"So I don't know if Grayson is working with the murderer or just needs glasses or what." Danny finished feeling Lindsay in on what had happened the night before.

She had the bed fully raised so it was like she was sitting up in bed. She had been surprised to find Danny sleeping next to her when she had awoken. Danny had seemed alarmed when she admitted that she didn't remember talking to him the night before. But Martha had come in to check on them and bring some cute tops that would be easy for Lindsay to wear under the sling. When Lindsay didn't even remember seeing Martha after Danny had been taken in, the nurse had explained about the breakdown the night before and the heavy load of drugs they had given her to calm her down. Whatever they had drugged her with had completely knocked her out and had left her with no memory of the events of the evening after Hawkes had left the hospital. From the puffiness of her eyes and the scratchiness of her throat that usually accompanied a severe crying jab, she was a little grateful that she didn't remember. So he had to repeat everything he had told her the night before.

Lindsay shook her head. "I can't figure any of this out. I need a scorecard to keep up with who the target is. First Adam and I are the victims of a bombing at the lab. That makes the lab in general seem like the target. You and Mac think you figure out who did it and go after Grant. After you are forced to shoot him you discover he wasn't the one who planted the bombs and then Grant winds up dead. That makes him look like the target to me. Maybe instead of trying to figure out who is after revenge on you, we should look into who might have had a grudge against Steve Grant."

Danny rubbed his jaw tiredly. He hadn't slept as hard as Lindsay had. The events of the day had invaded his own dreams and he kept waking up in a cold sweat needing the reassurance of his wife in his arms. That combined with the little amount of space he had in the bed had not made for a restful night. "Maybe my brain just hasn't woken up yet but I don't get it. Everything points to it being someone after the lab or me. Seems like if Grant was the actual target, whoever is doin' it took an awful big chance that we would even suspect Grant."

"And while we are focusing on that, someone might be getting away with murder. Think about it Dan." Her eyes were almost dancing at the idea of being able to work the investigation from her hospital bed. "Instead of just being victims, maybe Mac and you were set up to be pawns and scapegoats in a very clever attempt to commit murder against Steve Grant. While we spend our time focused in one direction, he could be getting away with murder because we aren't even looking at any other possibilities."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Jo Danville picked up her fourth mug of coffee since she'd woken from her nap on Mac's couch. As she drank, she silently cursed Mac for taking all the caffeinated coffee out of the lab. If there was ever a day she needed the full strength version it was today but she didn't want to take the time to run down the street to the nearest Starbucks. She picked up the report before her for what seemed like the hundredth time since it had arrived on the fax machine. It was a report of what the CSI team who had processed Grant's apartment and Grant himself after the initial shooting had put together. Though they had no obligation to share it with her, they understood her vested interest in the report and had agreed to share.

The uniform Mac had seen was an official NYPD uniform but the size was a little too big for Grant. The parts that appeared to be makings for a bomb had turned out to be pieces of a concussion gun used for shooting t-shirts into stands at concerts. Just like what Hawkes had discovered in the debris of the lab. Everything in the apartment pointed to Grant being involved in the explosion. Had it not been for Adam's absolute conviction that he was not the man in the uniform at the lab, it would have been an open and shut case.

The thing that puzzled Jo the most was the trace the CSI team had scrapped from Grant's fingernails at the hospital. They had discovered bits of red ink just under the nails. Toxicology had also discovered a trace amount of a powerful antipsychotic drug. She checked back over the report and saw that it was the same medication Grant was supposed to be taking since his release from the hospital but in far less quantities than it should be if he were taking the medication according to the prescription. The lab was still running tests on the prescription bottle they found in the apartment but it appeared that most of the pills had been substituted for sugar pills.

She frowned. Not taking his medication would explain a psychotic break that would cause him to try to blow up the lab and decide to shoot first when Mac and Danny arrived to question him, but why go to the trouble of putting the sugar pills in the medication bottle? And what was it about the ink under his fingernails? This case was just getting more puzzling as it went along.

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Detective Sawyers was back at the station by seven o'clock waiting for Officer Grayson to come in. Just in case he tried to go on patrol before seeing her, she informed the duty officer to send Grayson to her as soon as he checked in. When he arrived, he appeared just as nervous as he had the night before. She led him to an interrogation room and invited him to sit down. She pasted on her most reassuring smile and sat down opposite him.

"Thank you for coming in, Officer Grayson. I just have a few questions to ask you about what you saw last night. Detective Messer admitted to going into the room but swears he did not pull the plug on Steve Grant. Said he just went in to get a good look at the man that almost killed his wife."

A noticeable look of relief went over Grayson's face. That surprised Sawyers; if he was setting up Messer, wouldn't he have looked surprised to hear Messer admit to being there? "Yeah, well, I wouldn't be too keen on copping to murder either I guess. So what questions did you have?"

"Can you describe the clothes Detective Messer had on yesterday?"

"Khaki pants and a black turtleneck." There was no hesitation in his answer this time.

So he expected her to believe that even though she had seen Messer at two different times wearing the same black jeans and wine colored long sleeve t-shirt, he had completely changed clothes to go up to Grant's room to commit murder? A complete change of clothes he would never have had at the hospital? Grayso had seemed honest in his clothes description, though. Detective Sawyers thought back to all the answers he'd given her and his body language for each. The only time he'd stumbled over his answers and made her question his veracity was when he identified Messer as the man. Once she had read that the uniform in Grant's apartment had been official NYPD, she had started to suspect Grayson was in cahoots with Grant and maybe had even killed him himself and implicated Messer. Now she was beginning to wonder if something a little less sinister and a lot less connected was going on. Her eyes narrowed.

"You were standing just outside Grant's cubicle weren't you? You never stepped away to get a cup of coffee or to go to the bathroom?"

Again he shifted uncomfortably. "Only when Detective Flack came up. He was standing there and I figured it might be my only chance until I got off duty. He didn't say anything about; in fact, he looked a little relieved to have a little privacy."

"And that was the only time?" He didn't meet her eyes as he nodded. He was lying and she knew it. It was time to quit beating around the bush with him and get to the bottom of the situation. "I lied earlier when I said Messer admitted to being in the room; he denied it with every fiber in his being. But then I'm not the only liar in the room, am I? Messer wasn't anywhere near that room at all. Why don't you start telling the truth now and maybe just maybe you won't find yourself facing murder charges."


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: Only one or two more chapters to go after this one. I really appreciate everyone's kind reviews.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 12

When Mac opened the door to Lindsay's room, he was surprised to find her dressed and alone sitting in the bed. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and looked around. "Where's Danny?"

Lindsay smiled and motioned for her boss and friend to have a seat. She felt better since Danny had helped her get a shower earlier and she'd been able to get out of the hospital gown. The tops that Martha had brought her had made dressing easier but she had still needed Danny's help tying the straps, not to mention getting into the jeans, socks, and shoes his mom had brought her. "He went down to the pharmacy to get my prescriptions filled. The doctor has already come by and signed my release papers so I'm free to go once Danny gets back. Thanks for picking us up. Somehow I don't think the subway or a cab would have been as comfortable."

"Not a problem." He regarded her sling thoughtfully. "What's the prognosis on your shoulder?"

"I have to keep it immobilized for two weeks and then I'll have at least two weeks of physical therapy. He said I should be able to work at least part time once the sling comes off."

Mac shook his head. Were all of his employees as much of workaholics as he was? "We'll play that by ear when the time comes, okay? Just concentrate on getting better."

Lindsay chewed on the bottom of her lip and debated on whether to bring up the subject that had been foremost on her mind since she'd broached the subject with Danny. She knew her husband hadn't put much stock in her theory that maybe Grant had been the ultimate target after all. She wondered if she would get the same reaction from Mac. "Danny and I were talking earlier about who might be responsible for all this."

Mac raised an eyebrow. "Really? Did either of you come up with a name?"

"What made you suspect Grant was responsible for the bombing?" Her question surprised Mac but he tried not to show it.

"Adam's description was of a man with a bird tattoo on his neck. It was a feature of Grant's that stood out in my mind. That and the wording of the note matched something I said to him when he was arrested."

Lindsay nodded mulling that over. "So our bomber just so happened to have a similar tattoo on his neck. So possibly no accident that you suspected Grant was involved."

"What are you getting at, Lindsay?" He loved the way her mind worked; it had helped solve many cases over the years she'd worked for him but sometimes he had difficulty keeping up with the direction she chose to go.

"What if all of this had nothing to do with the lab other than as a catalyst to get you to go after Grant. What if he was the target all along and we were just the pawns used to get him."

"Then I would say the bomber was a true psychopath. That would be a pretty elaborate, tricky plan to carry out. I just don't think its likely. I'm sure we are going to find out that someone with a grudge against someone at the lab, probably Danny is behind this. I know its less scary to think it could be about someone else but we have to face the reality of the situation."

Lindsay could feel herself getting annoyed that two of the most important men in her life had so easily brushed off her suggestion. "Less scary? I think its pretty scary to think someone would go to so much trouble without regard to who might get hurt. Would it hurt to at least have Flack check into anyone who might have had a grudge against Grant? Cover all bases and such?" She blinked back a couple of tears, not wanting to show her hurt. She knew that her emotion would be a little more extreme for a few days because of the concussion but she didn't want Mac to see her cry. However, Mac was too good of a CSI to not notice the tears. With a sigh, he leaned over and gently wiped away the tears with his fingers.

"I'll tell Jo your theory and get her to ask Flack to look into it. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was blowing off your idea. I'm sorry. I just don't want you and Danny letting your guard down when someone could be targeting either of you."

Danny came into the room then carrying a small white bag with the hospital pharmacy logo on it. "Got your meds, Babe. As soon as Mac… Oh hey, Mac. Didn't know you were here already." He picked up on the tension in the room and frowned. "What's wrong?"

Mac leaned back in his seat as Danny came and sat down next to Lindsay. "Lindsay was sharing with me her theory on who the real target might be."

Danny nodded and looked down at her. "Babe, don't worry about the investigation. You are on medically leave and the two of us are on Administrative Leave. Let Jo and the rest of the team focus on the investigation. You focus on getting better and let me focus on you. 'Kay?"

She nodded, still feeling like she was being humored. Her body however remained tensed. Danny sighed and kissed the top of her head. He knew he had upset her but didn't know how much of it was the concussion and how much was her true emotions. He wanted to make it better but wasn't sure how to do so. "You ready to blow this popsicle stand?"

"Do I have to ride in the stupid wheelchair?" Lindsay knew she sounded petulant and childish but couldn't help it.

"Hospital rules, Babe. I'll let Martha know we're ready." He was about to reach for the nurse's button but Lindsay grabbed his arm before he could.

"Hold up for a minute." She looked from him to Mac and back again. "I have a request before we get down to the vehicle. There's somewhere I need to go before we go to the apartment."

Danny frowned. "Babe, anything you need I'll go get once we get you settled. Or I'm sure Mac would be more than happy to go pick something up if you don't want me to leave you alone when we first get home."

She shook her head. "It's not something anyone can pick up but someplace I need to go. I want to go to the lab."

"Out of the question. You are not going to set foot in that lab until the doctor clears you for work." Mac's tone brooked no argument but this was one time Lindsay was ready to argue.

"I don't want to work but I need to see it - see the destruction- so I can start to put it behind me. I don't remember much of anything after the first explosion so my imagination is trying to feel in the blanks. I'm afraid if I don't face the reality of it now, before my imagination builds it into so much more; it'll be too difficult to go back once I'm cleared by the doctor."

Danny pulled her close and held her tightly. Everything in him told him that it was a bad idea. He remembered every detail of the way the lab looked; the paralyzing fear of what he would find, and he was sure he would have nightmares about it for months. He wanted to shield her from that if at all possible. But at the same time, he recognized her logic. Lindsay had once shared with him that it had taken her years to ever go back into the diner where her friends were killed. He didn't want the lab to be like that for her. "What if reality is worse than anything' your imagination can come up with?"

"Then I'll have you there with me to get me through it." Lindsay stretched up so she could kiss his lips softly. Danny growled in frustration. He couldn't say no to her. They looked at Mac who still didn't seem convinced.

"You don't have to do this to yourself. I talked to Jo this morning and a clean up team is slated to start work tomorrow on repairs. By the time you are back to work, the lab should be as good as new and yesterday nothing more than a memory."

She could tell it wouldn't take much more pleading to convince him. "A memory I don't have. Please Mac, I just need a few minutes to see it and process the destruction in my mind. Then I'll go straight home and not even think about work until the doctor clears me."

Mac chuckled in spite of the gravity of her request. He'd knuckled under a miniature set of those same pleading eyes quite a few times when he had babysat Lucy. Now he knew exactly where the two-year-old had learned the skill. "Somehow I doubt you'll go two hours let alone over two weeks without at least thinking about work but okay. I don't like the idea but if you are certain its what you need and Danny's okay with it, that's where we'll go."

The next ten minutes were spent getting Lindsay in a wheelchair and Martha wheeling her down personally. Usually one of the orderlies handled the final discharge of a patient but this was one patient that Martha wanted to escort out herself. As they waited for Mac to pull the truck around, Martha gave Lindsay a warm hug and made her promise to come back to visit. Then she turned to Danny and gave him a hug as well.

"Stay out of trouble and keep a close eye on that one. I want to see you both again but not as patients. Got it?"

Danny nodded and slipped a small piece of paper in her hand. She glanced down and saw under his name a phone number. She gave him a questioning look. He smiled. "Give it to your daughter. Have her call me and I'll set up those dates with my friends like I promised. Thanks for taking such good care of Lindsay for me."

A wide smile spread over her face. "If either of them is half as sweet as you are, she'll be a very lucky young woman."

By then Mac had pulled up in the Avalanche and Danny helped Lindsay into the back seat. Before she could reach for her seatbelt, Danny had taken it and was fastening it for her. She shook her head. "I'm do still have one hand you remember."

"Humor me." He gave her a kiss and then climbed into the front with Mac. "Next stop, our home away from home."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Angela Sawyers sat across from Jo Danville for the second time in less than twenty four hours. This meeting was more relaxed than the first one had been. Then she'd been investigating two officers involved in a shooting. This time she was delivering a report about a murder charge.

"So as soon as he realized I was implicating him in the murder of Steve Grant, he rolled over and sang." She said speaking of her interview with Grayson earlier that morning.

Jo leaned back in her chair. "Was he working with the murderer? Do we know who and why someone wanted Danny framed for murder?"

"No to both, turns out it was nothing so nefarious. Grayson was covering up a dereliction of duty. He was suppose to stand right outside the door but it seems he got a little bored with that duty. He had stepped down the hall a little ways to the nurses' desk to flirt with a pretty little blonde nurse. He could still see the room but was about ten feet away from the door. He saw someone come up to the door but when they flashed a CSI badge he waved them on in and stayed where he was. When the alarms went off at the desk, that's when he knew something was wrong."

Jo frowned, could it really be so random and unconnected as that? "Then why point out Danny?"

"I pressed him hard on this to make sure since Detectives Taylor and Messer would have been our natural first suspects. Grayson didn't want to admit that he didn't get a good look at the killer so when I gave him the photos to look at, he chose the picture that looked the most like the man he saw and hoped for the best. Had the clothing description he gave matched what Detective Messer was wearing yesterday, I would be right back to suspecting him."

Giving it considerable thought, Jo shook her head. "I'm just not buying that it was a coincidence that Grayson pointed out Danny's picture. Perhaps the suspect made sure he matched Danny's description on purpose?"

Angela shrugged. "Sometimes coincidences do happen. I don't know. Grayson's story now, and this one I believe, is that the guy was about 5'7'' with brownish blond hair and a real short hair cut. Pretty general description but Detective Messer is the only one at your lab that matches it."

"Also matches the description Adam gave Mac of our bomber, the description that led Mac to Grant in the first place. So what's going to happen to Grayson?" Jo had a few things she'd like to do to him for getting her friend and colleague into trouble he didn't deserve.

Sawyers eyes turned steely. "If it were up to me, I'd have his job not only for leaving his post but for lying about the whole situation in my investigation. I'd also find a way to let his girlfriend know he was flirting with another woman while on the job. I told him so as well. However, I am turning over my report to a different IA officer and they'll make a ruling. He's a rookie so they'll probably suspend him and maybe bump him back to working with a training officer until they are sure he won't make this same mistake again."

"What are they doing here?" Jo's attention had been diverted out the window where three people were trying to get past the new security. Sawyers followed her gaze. Mac Taylor and Danny Messer had their badges out and were apparently trying to convince the guard to allow Lindsay in. The two women rose and went to the door. Jo called to the guard.

"It's okay. Let them all in." She crossed to meet them and gave Lindsay a warm hug and then admonished her. "What are you doing here? If they were crazy enough to let you out of the hospital so soon you should have gone straight home and stayed there. Although I'm really glad to see you up and about." She gave Danny and Mac a severe look. "What were you two thinking bringing her here? I can buy her not thinking 100% straight with a concussion but what's your excuse?"

Mac held his hands up in surrender. "I drove under protest. She insisted."

Lindsay ignored what she knew to be their concerned teasing and settled on Detective Sawyers. "Your presence has usually meant bad things for Danny. If you are here to take him for more questioning or anything like that I beg you to wait. I get that you have a job to do, but right now I need him to be my husband not an officer you insanely think could be responsible for murder. So please, at least give us today without having to worry about these stupid charges."

Sawyers was glad that it did appear that Danny hadn't even spoiled her reputation to his wife. She tried to look a little annoyed at Lindsay's request but the pain she saw reflected in the younger woman's eyes made it impossible. She'd been through enough in the last twenty-four hours that she didn't need any extra worry. "How about I give you more than a day. My investigation into the shooting isn't complete but my part of the murder investigation is. Detective Messer, you've been cleared of the murder charge. I'll let Detective Danville fill you in on the details. I'll be in touch in the next couple of days with my ruling of the shooting."

Danny's relief was evident as he hugged Lindsay. He was barely aware of Sawyer's departure and only half listened to Jo's explanation. He could fill in the missing pieces later. He was just glad that that part of the nightmare was over.

As Jo started her explanation, Flack approached. He had already heard what happened with Grayson but waited until Danny released Lindsay. He shook his best friend's hand, understanding the relief he was feeling and then turned to Lindsay. He gave her a hug and a kiss and then looked at Mac. "I think I'll have a harder time cuffing her and leading her home with her arm in that sling."

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "You guys are so funny. Let's get this over with." She started down the hall to the destroyed lab with Danny on her heels. As they left Mac explained what she wanted to do. Worriedly, the three friends stayed back to allow her and Danny some privacy.

Stopping outside the lab, Lindsay took a deep breath, wincing at the pain the maneuver caused her ribs. Danny held the police tape up so she would have to bend under it as she stepped inside. He rested a comforting hand on the small of her back and watched her carefully. Personally he didn't want to see any of the destruction ever again; the image was firmly ingrained in his memory. But he understood her need to do this and was determined not to let her do it by herself.

She looked around, taking in every detail. Flashes of memory came back to her. Opening the box, flying backward, hitting hard and the file cabinet landing on her as she landed on the floor. A second more powerful explosion. She shuddered and then twisted so her head was buried in Danny's chest. His arms wrapped around her tightly and his hand rubbed her back soothingly. He could feel her tears wetting his shirt and he simply held her as she cried. He knew she didn't need to hear soothing platitudes, she just needed to be held. After several minutes she looked up at him.

"I'm really lucky to be alive, aren't I?"

Danny's eyes, against his will settled on the spot where they had pulled the file cabinet lying on her. He remembered how still and broken she had looked. His heart skipped a beat just at the memory and his hold on her tightened until he heard a slight groan of pain. He kissed the top of her head in apology and loosened his hold. "Yeah, I think you are. I think we're both lucky it wasn't worse. I know the nightmare of all this isn't gonna go away overnight but I think we gotta hold on to just how lucky we were and are that we can both stand here in each others arms. I know at least if I dwell too much on what could have happened, I'm gonna have a hard time letting you ever leave the apartmentl You seen enough?"

Lindsay blinked back the tears and nodded. "More than enough. Thanks for letting me do this. I know its just as hard for you but I had to do this."

"I know, that's why I went along with it." He glanced up at the remaining wall where lab coats used to hang. A sudden thought hit him. "Hey Babe, don't some of the techs leave their badges on their coats?"

Lindsay nodded. "Yeah, the ones that don't need their badges outside the lab usually do. Why?"

"Maybe that's how our killer got the badge he showed Grayson. When he dropped off the bombs maybe he took one off a coat on his way out."

"Makes as much sense as anything else I guess. Jo said he only saw the badge from a distance. The killer could have held his thumb over the picture. Let's go share your theory with Jo and Flack and then get Mac to drive us home."

As they returned to their friends, they saw that Hawkes had also joined them. Once again Lindsay found herself in a friendly embrace and then Danny filled them in on his observation. They were just about to leave when Adam came rushing down the hall a piece of paper in his hand. He stopped short when he saw Mac and Flack glare at him. "I'm not here to work. I finally got the sketch of the man who dropped off the bomb perfect and I wanted to drop it off so it could be scanned through the facial recognition program. Lindsay, what are you doing here?"

Mac took the paper and looked at him. He shook his head. "I don't recognize him. Danny?" He handed the paper to the younger CSI who shook his head as well. Hawkes caught a glimpse of the picture as Danny started to pass it to Flack and took it from him. He looked at it long and hard and then looked at the others.

"I know who this is."

TBC

Author's Note 2: I almost revealed who it was here but decided to leave you hanging until the next chapter. If you have a prediction, I would like to hear it either in a review or PM. The story has taken some twists and turns as I've written it but the identity of the bomber has been firmly set from the conception of the story.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: I appreciate the reviews I got on the last two chapters. It wasn't as many so I'm not sure if that means people weren't as crazy about them as the others. If not, please let me know what was off about them. This will be the last chapter except for the epilogue so I hope you enjoy it and aren't disappointed in the reveal.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Blown Apart  
Chapter 13

All eyes turned to Hawkes. After a couple of seconds, Mac couldn't take the suspense. "Who is it? What is his connection to the lab?"

"Okay, so I don't remember his name but I know where I can find it. As far as I know, he doesn't have a connection to the lab at all." Sensing that he was about to have everyone there jumping down his throat in about three seconds, he nodded toward the picture. "That's Steve Grant's brother-in-law. His name will be in the ME's files cause I'm pretty sure he's the one that claimed the bodies of Teresa and Sam Grant."

Mac couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you sure?"

Hawkes nodded. "I was in court almost every day during the trial and he was always there. He didn't have the tattoo or crew cut then but that's his face. I'll run down to autopsy and get Sid to check the file for his name." Without another word he headed for the elevator.

Adam looked confused. "So what are we thinking here? He was working with his brother-in-law to get revenge on the lab and then offed Grant to protect himself?"

Lindsay shook her head, a little surprised but pleased to find her theory might just pan out despite Mac's and Danny's doubt. "I'd say revenge all right - not against us but against Grant."

"I don't buy it." Flack disagreed. "He delivers a bomb here with a threat to blow up the lab all to draw you to his brother-in-law hoping to get him killed? Who thinks that way? I like Adam's theory better."

"Well, we won't know much of anything until Hawkes gets us the name and we bring him in for questioning. Adam, you are suppose to be recuperating, not making the rest of us look like slackers by solving the case for us." She winked to let him know she was joking and then gave Lindsay's uninjured hand a squeeze. "You okay, Lindsay? I know seeing that lab couldn't have been easy on you. I have a hard time looking at it and I was downstairs in Autopsy when the explosions happened."

"It was something I had to do so I don't regret coming here but it was a serious reality jolt."

Danny wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to lean against him. He could tell that she was emotionally and physically drained. "We should probably get you home and in bed."

"But we are so close to getting answers to all this." Lindsay protested weakly. The truth was, she felt ready to collapse right then and there but didn't want to admit to the weakness.

"It's still gonna be awhile before they get any answers. Once Hawkes has a name, they still gotta get an address and bring him in. As much trouble as he's gone to, whatever his motivation, I doubt he's just gonna roll over and start singing jus' cause they ask him nicely. Jo or someone will call and fill us in once they know something', right?"

Jo nodded, a little surprised that Danny wasn't the one pressing to stay. Lindsay looked equally surprised. She looked up at him. "Don't you want to be here?"

Danny locked his eyes on hers hoping to give her just a little of his own strength. He hated seeing her look so fragile. He could feel how her whole body was trembling with exhaustion. "Yeah, I wanna stay but what I'm gonna do is get my beautiful wife home and cater to her every need."

"That could be dangerous." Flack warned with a chuckle.

"She's worth it." Danny answered. He really was concerned that Lindsay had just about used up all her reserved strength and wanted to get her home before she really collapsed. He also knew that if he stayed, he'd have a hard time staying out of the interrogation room. He was already facing repercussion from getting personally involved the day before and he didn't want to make the same mistake two times in as many days. "Mac, you still up for giving us a ride home?"

Mac nodded proud of the maturity the decision Danny was making showed. He could also see how heavily Lindsay was leaning on Danny and knew the combination of her injuries and the emotional impact of seeing how close she'd come to dying was weighing heavily on her. As the married couple started toward the elevator, he looked back at Jo. "I'm coming back after I get them home. I know since I'm on leave I can't be a part of the interrogation but I want to be in the observation room when you do. I want to know exactly why this man targeted my lab and my people."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Thirty minutes later, Flack and Jo were standing outside the business office of a local delivery company. A check of the name Hawkes had pulled from the file showed this to be his place of work. After what had happened when Mac and Danny had tried to bring in Grant, Flack didn't want to take any chances that this suspect knew they were coming. He had arranged for back-up by phone and had called for radio silence from everybody responding. Flack flashed his badge at the receptionist. "We need to see Tanner Moore."

The woman looked surprised. "He's our shipping manager. He's in the loading area supervising the loading of the vans for the afternoon deliveries. Would you like me to page him for you?"

Jo smiled at her. "That's okay. We'll announce ourselves."

They left the office and made their way down the loading bay. They spotted Moore standing at a van looking over a clipboard. They waited until they were close enough to him that he wouldn't be able to run without them catching him. "Mr. Moore?"

He turned. He didn't look at all fazed by the fact that he was being approached by two police officers. "Can I help you, officers?"

Flack couldn't help but notice the obvious absence of a tattoo of a red bird on the man's neck but didn't say anything about it. "Mr. Moore, I'm Detective Flack and this is Detective Danville. You're under arrest. Please turn around."

Moore didn't move. "May I ask what the charges are?"

"We'll start with impersonating a police officer and end with murder. Turn around." Flack waited until the man finally turned around and then placed the handcuffs on him.

They led him outside and turned him over to a uniformed officer who would deliver him to the precinct. Once Flack and Jo were in the car alone together, Flack turned her in confusion. "Wasn't there suppose to be a red bird on his neck? Are we sure he's the right guy?"

Jo was thoughtful. "He matched the rest of Adam's description perfectly. The tattoo could have been just a temporary job. Grant had red ink under his fingernails that I couldn't figure out. Could have been the ink from the tattoo."

Flack considered it. "Makes as much sense as anything else in this case has. You think it's wise that Mac listen in on our interrogation. Sawyers is still after his head on a platter."

"No, I don't think it's wise." Jo didn't lift her head off the headrest as she turned to look at Flack. "But you and I both know that Mac agreeing to stay in the observation room is as much concession he's going to make to the fact that he's on Administrative Leave. This is personal. Doesn't matter how much we are suppose to keep the two separate. This bombing blurred the lines of personal and professional entirely. If Danny hadn't been so concerned about Lindsay, he would have insisted on staying as well. Any of us would."

"I think Adam was planning to stick around as well. Said something about wanting to be there to make a positive ID. You think he's right about Moore working with Grant?"

"You have a sister, right?" Jo asked seemingly out of the blue. Flack nodded. "If, God forbid, someone killed her and her child, would you ever willingly work in tangent with her murderer on anything?"

Flack considered her question. "Not even close. He wouldn't live long enough for that to even be an option. Why?"

"As crazy as it sounds, I think Lindsay was on target with her theory. Sheldon was telling me about the case yesterday. He didn't even know the family and yet he remembers almost every detail - you can bet Moore remembers even more so. I can't imagine he had anything but hatred for his sister's murderer."

Flack pulled into his spot at the crime lab garage. "I guess we'll know soon enough."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Twenty minutes later Flack and Jo sat on one side of the table in the interrogation room while Moore sat on the opposite side. During the intervening time, Flack had put their suspect in a line up and asked Adam to identify him as the man who had delivered the bombs and Grayson to do the same as the man who had entered. The latter's identification was going to be iffy in court after his earlier lie but he'd been adamant that this was truly the man he'd seen. Jo, in the meantime, did some checking on recent shipments of the delivery company Moore worked for.

"Your company has had some interesting discrepancies in shipments lately. Seems a recent delivery to the New York Police Department was short one uniform. A theater company reported filled out a claim on a missing concussion cannon. Butler Demolition also had a delivery recently of explosives but were short a few blasting caps, dynamite, timers, and a small amount of C4."

"Sometimes discrepancies happen usually it can be traced back to an error in the packing on the senders end. Is that why I'm here? Detective Flack mentioned chargers of impersonating an officer to murder."

Flack leaned back in his chair. "It all ties in, don't worry. See someone wearing that missing uniform dropped off two boxes to our crime lab yesterday. Those boxes just happened to contain a concussion bomb and an incendiary device. Those are mighty big coincidences, don't ya think?"

Moore didn't look at all fazed by Flack's questions. "I think I heard something about that on the news last night. I thought I also heard something about a suspect being shot by police detectives."

"That suspect was your former brother-in-law, Steve Grant. We found the uniform and some of the other missing items in his apartment. Any idea how they got there?" Jo supplied watching him carefully.

"Not at all. As you can imagine, I don't have any desire to spend time with him. I think I've only seen him a couple of times since he was released from the mental hospital. That was a couple of times too many."

Flack looked at Jo while playing with his pen. "See, this is what I think, Jo. I think Grant got out of the hospital and wanted to settle a score against the lab that led to his arrest. So he went to his former brother-in-law for help in securing the items he would need to carry out his plan to blow up the lab." Jo nodded as if accepting his theory. Flack turned his attention back to Moore. "Grant couldn't take the chance of being seen here at the lab; he might be recognized. So he talks you into making the delivery for him. Maybe without even telling you what you was actually delivering. Then you see the news and realized what he's done and you don't want any part of going to jail. So you make sure Grant doesn't live long enough to tell anyone your part in this. How's that sound?"

Moore wasn't even so much as sweating. Flack had to admit he was starting to have his doubts. "Sounds like a ludicrous fairy tale. If that's the best you have, I'd really like to leave now."

Jo awarded him with a lazy smile. "Oh we have more. Plenty more, actually. How about we start with picture time." She handed him the picture that Adam had created on his computer. "This is the person who delivered the bombs to the lab. Look familiar? Our lab tech that was there at the time provided us with that. He also identified you in the line up earlier."

For the first time, Moore shifted uncomfortably. ""The news reports didn't say anything about survivors from the explosion."

Flack smiled. "Yeah, we had the press withhold that information. We didn't want to put our officers in danger by letting their attempted killer know they survived."

Pointing to the tattoo in the photograph, Moore continued. "This person has a bird tattoo on his neck. You can clearly see that I don't have any tattoos."

Again Jo fielded the protest. "Perhaps you remember the swab of your neck that we took when we first brought you in. When we ran that swab through our computers we discovered a trace of red ink. Ink that is commonly used in temporary tattoos. You might have thought you got rid of it when you washed it off but only at a visible level. Part of the ink remained. Amazingly enough it was a match to the red ink we found under Grant's fingernails when he was brought to the hospital. That proves you were with him recently."

"Doing what?" Flack asked. "Making your plans to destroy the people who put him away? What could he possibly offer you that was worth getting into bed with the man who killed your sister and nephew?"

"Idiot, there's nothing that could make me work with that monster. Teresa was a wonderful person and the perfect mother. Everyone loved her. And little Sam was the apple of my eye. I loved that little boy like he was my own child, not my nephew. And that no good husband brutally took their lives. He laughed about it too. Claimed he was committing the perfect crime. He didn't think anyone would ever figure out he was responsible. If it hadn't been for the crime lab, he might have gotten away with it."

"So why help him hurt the ones who helped put him away?" Flack pressed.

Jo shook her head. "He wasn't helping him. He was framing him. Showing him how to commit the perfect crime. He delivered the bombs and the note to the lab counting on the fact that someone would connect the tattoo and the note to Grant." she turned her attention back to Moore. She could see he was on the brink confessing everything. "When Grant wasn't killed in the shootout, you had to step in again. Using a badge you stole from the lab when you delivered the bomb, you entered his hospital room and pulled the plug. You framed Grant for the explosion and a CSI for murder. You really thought you would get off scott free didn't you?"

His façade crumbled. "He showed up at my apartment two months after he was released. Talking about how he was a new man after his stay in the hospital. Showed me this bottle of pills that he said would make sure he didn't make the same mistakes he did before. Mistakes; as if killing Teresa and Sam had been mistakes. I couldn't take it. He had gotten away with murder. 5 years in a mental hospital is nothing compared to what he deserved. It took me several more months to make a plan and gather what I needed. I changed out most of his pills for placebos and waited until I was sure he was near a breaking point. I knew he listened to the scanner. I knew if he heard that the police were coming for him, he'd go ballistic. It was the perfect crime. I'd never be connected to it."

Flack was surprised. When Lindsay had first offered her theory about Moore getting revenge on Grant, he'd thought she was completely off the mark. But here Moore was confirming that theory. "Why the lab then? The only reason anyone knew Grant killed your sister and nephew is because the lab uncovered evidence implicating him. Why target them?"

"They should have found more!" Moore exploded with anger. "If they could discover that he was guilty they should have discovered he wasn't crazy and deserved the death penalty not some cushy mental hospital. Besides, the New York Crime Lab prides itself on getting their man. I knew if one or more of their own were killed, they wouldn't stop until they had the person responsible. I even took the uniform and bomb parts to his apartment after I left the lab. I left them there and told him what I had done. I bragged to him that they would come to get him and lock him away for good this time."

"I don't get it." Flack admitted. "If you wanted to make sure we suspected Grant, why not use a black bird tattoo instead of the red one? We knew Grant hadn't planted the bomb as soon as our witness saw him."

"Cause I didn't want to be him. I needed to match his description but I didn't want to look just like him. I didn't want to give him that satisfaction. Don't ask me to feel sorry that he's dead, because I don't."

Flack gripped the edge of the table and leaned in toward him. "What about our people you hurt? You feel sorry for them? One of them came real close to dying. She's a wife and a mother and she wasn't even here when Grant killed your sister and nephew. She didn't deserve the pain you've caused her."

Moore shrugged. "She's a cop; she knew the danger when took the job."

Enraged, Flack stood and crossed to the door, flinging it open. He motioned one of the officers standing guard to enter. "Get this piece of scum outta my sight."

Once Moore was out of the room, Jo leaned back and watched as Flack paced his anger out. "They always make the same mistake."

Flack stopped mid pace and looked at her. "What mistake is that? Thinking we won't nail them?"

She shook her head. "No, thinking there's such a thing as a perfect crime."


	14. Epilogue

Author's Notes: Well, this is it. The final chapter. Had this been a regular episode, it probably would have ended with chapter 12. But as an English teacher, I have to have my denouement so I had to put in an epilogue to wrap things up.

I had planned a sweet little moment between Lindsay and Lucy in the hospital. When I tried to put it on paper though, it refused to come out right so I scraped it. Hopefully the Lucy scene at the beginning here works better. The end came to my mind about halfway through writing the story and seemed the perfect way to end so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Don't own the CSI: NY characters and I don't own the story Chicken Little (any version but the one I'm going with is the one I grew up knowing.)

Blown Apart  
Epilogue

"So Chicken Little and Henny Penny continued on to tell the king that the sky was falling. Soon they met Loosey Goosey. Loosey Goosey asked where they were going and Chicken Little said 'The sky is falling and we must go and tell the king.'" Lindsay was half lying/half sitting on the couch with Lucy curled up on her good side reading. Lucy was proudly holding the book and turning the pages so that her mother could have her one good arm wrapped around Lucy's small body. Lucy looked and grinned at the entrance of the newest character of the story.

"Me Lucy-Goosey. Silly Chi'ken Liddle, the sky no fall." She shook her head in disbelief.

Lindsay laughed quietly, careful not to jar her ribs. Though she was glad to be home, it seemed like she was feeling the pain in her ribs and shoulders more than she had in the hospital. Danny had suggested earlier it was because in the hospital they gave her the pain medication whether she wanted it or not; now that she was at home, she was holding off taking the prescription pain pills as much as she could because they made her drowsy. She'd much rather endure the pain if it meant being able to spend the time with her little girl. "My little Lucy-Goosey is so smart. Chicken Little should listen to her." She continued reading the story with Lucy turning the pages at the appropriate places. They had read this story often enough that Lucy knew exactly where the page turns were. When Chicken Little and friends met Foxy Loxy, the two-year-old's eyes got wide.

"Foxy Loxy, you so mean. My mommy and daddy gonna 'rest you and put you to jail." Lucy warned just as the doorbell rang.

Lindsay kissed her daughter's head and with a groan stood up from the couch. She made her way gingerly to the door and looked out of the peep hole. She frowned when she saw Angela Sawyers standing there. She opened the door. "Detective Sawyers, what a surprise. Come in."

"I'm sorry to intrude; I know you were only released from the hospital yesterday but I need to speak to your husband."

Lindsay's heart beat just a little faster. Jo had called last night to fill them in on Moore's confession and they had hoped that it meant the worst was behind them. Sawyer's presence at their apartment did not bode well for her. "He went to pick up a few groceries. He should be back shortly. Would you like to wait?"

"Mama." Lindsay turned to see Lucy standing on the couch looking at her. Her little hands were on her hips, imitating Lindsay's 'you're in trouble" look. "Daddy said to stay off you feet. You come sit with me 'fore you get in twouble."

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Danny gave her strict orders not to let me do too much while he was gone. I don't know if he realizes how seriously she takes her job or if that's what he was counting on. Why don't you come have a seat before my beautiful little narc turns me in."

Sawyers laughed and followed the younger woman into the living room area. Lindsay once more settled on the couch and Sawyers chose a comfortable chair to the side of the couch. Lucy snuggled down next to Lindsay. "I could use her on my team."

Lindsay looked down at Lucy. The little girl looked more and more like Danny every day but her eyes were more like Lindsay's and were already starting to turn brown. "What do you say Lucy-Goosey, want to work for Detective Sawyers?"

The two-year-old held the book up for Detective Sawyers to see. "You put Foxy Loxey in jail like Mommy and Daddy?"

Lindsay cocked an eyebrow, waiting to see how the IA officer explained her job to the little girl. "No sweetheart, I make sure the police officers follow all the rules for putting Foxy Loxey in jail."

The little girl shook her head. "You silly like Chi'ken Liddle. The police is the good guys, they has to follow the rules. I gonna work for Unca Mac like Mommy and Daddy."

Detective Sawyers smiled. "Uncle Mac, huh? The crime lab is a real little family isn't it?"

Lindsay smiled. "There are some days I spend more time at the lab than I do here at home. I trust my life on any given day to the men and women I work with. They've been there every step of the way in Danny's and my relationship. Heck, half of them were outside my room when I gave birth to Lucy here. So yeah, it's a family." She looked down at her daughter. "Lucy, could you go to the fridge and get Mommy and Detective Sawyers a soda? You can have a juice box."

The two year old nodded and bolted off the couch, but not before accidentally elbowing Lindsay in the ribs. She bit back the scream of pain but couldn't prevent the tears from filling her eyes. Detective Sawyers winced.

"Are you okay? That had to hurt. Can I get you a pain pill or something?"

Lindsay shook her head as she tried to catch her breath. "I'll be okay in just a minute. She doesn't quite understand that Mommy isn't as indestructible as she thinks I am."

"I think you might be a little more indestructible than you think. I understand that you were the one who initially proposed that maybe Grant was the intended target all along. How did you ever figure that out?"

Lindsay shrugged and then wiped her eyes surreptitiously before Lucy returned carefully balancing two cans of soda and a juice box. The little girl handed one can to Detective Sawyers and then scrambled up on the couch again. This time Lindsay was prepared with one of the sofa pillows strategically placed over her stomach. She awkwardly put the straw in Lucy's juice box and then opened her own can. "It wasn't so much that I figured it out; I didn't know any more than the others did. However, nothing about the case made sense so I thought of the most outlandish explanation I could think of and that was it."

Detective Sawyers had to admit that she was impressed. "I can see why the lab has such a high success rate."

Lindsay knew she should watch what she said around the IA officer but felt the need to plead her husband's case just the same. "We're good because we're passionate about what we do. I don't know what you've decided about Danny but you have to know that whatever he did, he did because he cares about his job and his family. It's what makes him a good CSI. Don't fault him too much for that."

The door opened behind them and Danny stepped into the apartment. Lucy scrambled off the couch to greet him. "Daddy. You home." She launched herself at his legs. Without hesitation, he set the bags he was carrying down on the floor and scooped her up in his arms.

"Hey Lucy. Were you and Mommy good girls?"

She nodded emphatically. "Mama got up to answer the door but she sat down when I 'minded her. We gots company. She has a silly job."

Danny glanced over at Detective Sawyers. Her presence could only mean a decision had been made in the shooting. "Yeah, well not everyone can have the cool jobs like Mommy and me. You think you can help Daddy carry some of these bags into the kitchen?"

"I do it."

The next few minutes were spent with Lucy helping Danny carry the bags into the kitchen and putting away the refrigerated items. Then he asked Lucy to go play in her room while the grownups talked. With the little girl occupied, he joined Lindsay on the couch and gave her a quick kiss.

Detective Sawyers sighed. "I won't stay long, but I knew you'd want to know our ruling as soon as possible."

Danny rubbed his eyes with one hand while the other snaked around his wife's shoulders. "I don't know, do I?"

Sawyers saw no need to beat around the bush. The young family had already been through too much. "We decided the shooting was justified. Grant was delusional thanks to the medication switch and would have killed both you and Detective Taylor before he would have let you arrest him. You had no choice but to open fire."

Relieved Danny leaned down and kissed Lindsay again. A couple more tears, this time of relief, slipped down Lindsay's cheek. Then Danny looked back at Sawyers. "Should I be anticipating a but about here?"

Sawyers nodded. "We do have a problem with the two of you responding on the call in the first place. You were both too emotionally involved, especially you, Detective Messer. Your wife had just been seriously injured and whatever your motivation, you couldn't be in the right frame of mind to do your job- no matter how passionate you are in your job." She gave Lindsay a look that said she had listened to what the woman had said. "A letter of reprimand will be placed in your file. If you make the same mistake again, the consequences will be much worse."

A letter of reprimand wasn't earth shattering. Though he officially wasn't being taken off the promotion grid, the letter would seriously impede his chances for promotion for at least a year. Still, given the alternatives, it was a slap on the wrist. "That's it? I can handle that. What about Mac?"

"He was personally involved but not to the extent you were. He should have had a clearer head because of that. As your superior officer, he never should have let you near Grant. He also should have waited for back-up to arrive. It might not have made a difference but he would be the first one to reprimand one of his own for the same mistake. He is being suspended for one week without pay and he'll also have a letter of reprimand placed in his folder."

Danny winced. A week away from work would kill Mac even though it was still a light punishment compared to what IA could have imposed. "You tell him that yet?"

Detective Sawyers chuckled lightly, almost as if she could read his mind. "I left him just before coming here. Needless to say he had a few choice words about my decisions. Words that I don't think you would want your daughter to hear. But I think part of him recognizes that it was the right decision on my part. I won't take any more of your time."

Danny and Lindsay stood along with Sawyers and each shook her hand. The IA officer smiled at both of them. "It was nice meeting you both but I hope I don't have to see either of you again in an official capacity. I hope you recover quickly. You two relax and I'll see myself out. Tell Lucy that if she ever decides she wants a silly job with me to give me a call."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Lindsay stepped to the door of the trace lab. She shuddered momentarily at the feel of Déjà vu that came over her as she saw only Adam inside. True to Mac's word, the lab looked completely brand new. No trace of the explosion remained. It had been exactly two weeks since she'd been injured and today was her first day back at the lab. Pushing back the uneasiness that threatened to consume her, she entered the lab. Adam looked up as she entered and smiled. Only a slight bruise on his temple remained of his injuries.

"Hey, welcome back. Danny had said you were probably coming back today but that he was hoping to talk you into taking a few more days. When did you lose the sling?"

"Yesterday. I'm cleared for light duty here in the lab but I won't get full clearance until I finish my physical therapy. He tried to talk me into staying home longer but I couldn't. I was gaining too much weight eating all the food people kept bringing over, especially Danny's mom and Sid's wife."

Adam grinned. "Yeah, I've been getting that as well, well, not from Danny's mom obviously but from everyone else. Of course Mrs. Hammerback has been cooking me at least one meal a week for a couple of years now. I think Sid was telling her stories, which kind of scares me cause you know how his stories usually go, so she makes sure I eat right. I protested at first but after a couple of meals I gave up."

"Realized it was useless to protest?" Lindsay asked, pleased to be back. She had even missed Adam's enthusiastic rambling.

"Nope, realized she was a really good cook. So how are you really?"

Lindsay eased down onto a stool. "Pretty good. Still a little pain but nothing that a couple of Tylenol can't handle. Nightmares are starting to get better as well." The first several nights she'd been home, she'd barely slept all. Every time she closed her eyes, nightmares of the explosion and what could have happened had plagued her. Now she was having maybe one nightmare a night and it wasn't even causing her to wake up screaming anymore.

She saw a box sitting on the lab table. "What are you working on? Maybe I can help. I can't do field work but anything is better than the pile of paperwork waiting on my desk."

"I don't know yet. Haven't had a chance to open it. It's an advance box from Jo's and Danny's crime scene. It was dropped off a few minutes ago." Almost at the same time they realized the similarity to the last time they were in lab together. Adam swallowed hard. "You don't think…"

Lindsay shook her head. "No, of course not." Then she added, "Who dropped it off?"

"Flack. I mean we can trust him right?" He laughed nervously. He picked up a knife to open the box. His hand hovered over the box and then he looked back at Lindsay. "Couldn't hurt to open it under the biohazard vent, though, right?" He carried the box over to the newest installation to the lab. A vent hood that was designed to contain any biohazard us material. It would also prevent even a small explosion from escaping. He placed it in the hood and sealed it tightly. Sticking his hands in the hood gloves, he made quick work of slicing the tape and lifting the lid. He peered inside and groaned.

Lindsay frowned. "Don't tell me it is another explosive?"

"Worse, lots of broken glass that will have to be pieced together to get prints. Why do I always get the impossible puzzles to put together? But hey you did say you wanted to help." He grinned hopefully.

Lindsay stood and back toward the door. "You know, I think I'll leave this one to you. Sorry Adam, paperwork calls."

Adam frowned. "I thought you said anything was better than paperwork?"

"I lied. Even a mountain of paperwork beats gluing pieces of glass back together. If I see Danny, I'll send him your way. He loves this kind of work."

Once her retreating back had disappeared down the hall, Adam shook his head and opened the vent hood. He looked down at the box in question. "I guess its just you and me and a bottle of glue." He removed the box and carried it to the lab table. He'd just opened the first envelope and poured out the pieces when a stool scraped close to him. He looked up to see that Lindsay had returned and picked up an envelope of her own.

She smiled. "Maybe a puzzle or two won't be so bad."

- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -

Final Author's notes: I hope you have enjoyed the ride as much as I have enjoyed writing the story. We'll just have to wait and see if I was even remotely close to the real episode.

Again I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the story. I appreciated every kind word that was said. I also thank those who put my story on their Story Alerts or who just read and enjoyed the story.

This may have been my first CSI: NY story to post here but I don't expect it to be my last. I have several ideas; I just have to figure out which one is going to haunt me the most until I write it down.


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